
Centennial 

Celebration 
July 2-3-4 1916 

Commemorative of the one hundredth an- 
niversary of the granting of the first 
charter, April 17th. 1816, 
to the village of 

PeekskiU 




Compiled and Edited by 

GEO. E. BRIGGS. 



Assisted by 



LEVERETT F. CRUMB 

and 

KARL M. SHERMAN. 



Published by the HIGHLAND DEMOCRAT COMPANY 
by resolution of the Centennial Committee 




Chester De Witt Pu^sley 

Chairman of the General Committee 



. P37IS 8 




The IJinlsall House, One Hun dred Years Ago, on Main Street 




Eagle Hotel, wlure .>l(»ii(l;iy's and I iiesdivj's lunclieons were served. Re- 
viewing stand for the parade Monday. The oldest hotel in the villiige, town 
and county. 



PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 

JULY 2, 3, 4, 1916 



WHERE AIM) WHEN IT STARTED. 

The celebration of the one hundredth 
anniversary of the granting of a char- 
ter to the Village of Peekskill on April 
17, 1816, originated in a regular meet- 
ing of the Peekskill Board of Trade, 
January 12, 1915, when during the dis- 
cussion of some project to boom the 
village, Karl M. Sherman, a member, 
announced that the next year, 1916, 
w^ould mark the one hundredth anni- 
versary of the granting of the first 
charter to the village. Why not cele- 
brate the event? , 

After a short debate the president 
was instructed to appoint a committee 
on the matter. He named Chester De 
Witt Pugsley, chairman; Joseph F. 
Raymond, vice-chairman ; Edward F. 
Hill, Edward E. Young, Jacob Fish, 
Melvin R. Horton, William B. Baxter, 
Karl M. Sherman, Samuel J. McCord, 
Dr. H. Monroe Mace and the president, 
William H. H. MacKellar, and the sec- 
retary, Geo. E. Briggs, as ex-officio 
members. 

They met together and at the next 
session of the Board of Trade reported 
favorably upon the matter and sug- 
gested an outline for the proposed cel- 
ebration. 

The report was approved and a res- 
olution passed requesting the presi- 
dent of the village to appoint a com- 
mittee of one hundred citizens to take 
the matter In hand. 

THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED. 

On June 11, 1915, President Leverett 
F. Crumb announced at a meeting of the 
Board of Trustees the following gene- 
r;U committee: Chester De Witt Pugs- 
ley, chairman: William H. H. MacKel- 
lar, Hon. Cornelius A. Pugsley, Albert 
E. Cruger, Karl M. Sherman, William 
Lawson, James W. Husted, Thomas 
Nelson, Jr.. Geo. E. Bri ggs, Cassius M. 
Gardner, Isaac'H. Smith, James K. Ap- 
gar, Edward F. Hill, Fred F. Roe, Fred 
T. Pugsley, William H. Glsh, Angelo 
Bleakley, Milton W. Lounsbury, Clar- I 



ence J. Lent, Richard W. McGlnty, Dr. 
H. Monroe Mace, Charles E. Tweedy, 
Thomas Timmons, Oscar V. Barger, 
Lanning G. Roake, H. Alban Anderson, 
A. Ellsworth Garrison, William W. 
Hoyt, Dr. E. de Mott Lyon, George 
E. McCoy, Dr. Perley H. Mason, Dr. 
Albert E. Phin, A. D. Dunbar, Fred J. 
Bohlmann, Fred J. Jones, Dr. Willard 
H. Sweet, John W. Balluffi, William B. 
Baxter, George A. Creed, Clifton E. 
Forbush, George H. Jewell, John J. 
Heleker, Jr., Elmer E. Seymour, E. R. 
Russell, C. W. Horton, Jr., E. Ervin 
Gardner, Jr., James J. Finnigan. Thos. 
Dasey, S. J. McCord, George A. Cass- 
cles, J. Coleridge Darrow, Robt. Cross, 
Franklin Montross, James Dimond, 
Harold H. Durrin, Isaac M. Beatty, 
Moses M. Scucclmarra, Walter Homan, 
Charles LeClair, Joseph Sparrow, Geo. 
Naylor, Jr., Andrew B. Buchanan, Pe- 
ter Valente, Allen Elkins, Charles 
Weller, Antonio S. Renza, William F. 
Hoehn, Melvin R. Horton, Fred A. 
Smith, Robert McCord, John B. Hal- 
sted, Jas. Dempsey, Sanford R. Knapp, 
William J. Charlton, J. Wesley Barker, 
Dr. George C. Colyer, Nathan P. Bush- 
nell, Edward E. Young, James F. Mar- 
tin, A. Wesley Wyatt, William H. Clin- 
ton, George Winters, Max Saloman, 
William G. Preston, John S. Baker, 
Theodore P. Birdsall, Frank N. McCoy, 
Rev. Benjamin H. Everitt, Charles E. 
Clinton, William H. Stevens, Jay R. 
Decatur, Charles J. Donohue, Edward 
G. Halsey, Clarence W. Stetson, S. 
Fletcher Allen, Edward McDermott, 
John N. Tllden, S. Allen Mead, Otto 
Graninger, Robert Johns, James A. 
Sloat, William C. Hoffman, James F. 
Thompson, Nathan Posey, Dr. Edward 
C. Duryee, Joseph S. Austin, Rev. 
Henri de Vries, Clifford M. Lent, Alonzo 
Seymour, George W. Buchanan, Ed- 
mund Jordan, William H. Croft, Har- 
old D. E. Hyatt, Elbert H. Bagley, Geo. 

A. Timmons, Geo. B. Joseph, Edward 
J. Wilson, Dr. Charles A. Robinson, 

B. B. Nostrand, Jr., Charles W. Old- 



^ /iUU Id 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



field, Frank H. Whitney, George D. 
McCutchen, Frost Horton, Allan L. 
Sutton, David S. Murden, Isadore 01- 
stein, John J. Slattery, Joseph Ives, 
George Goetchius, Leon Heady, Chas. 
H. Nelson, Edward J. Lockwood, Wm. 
E. Lane, Jr., William J. Wiberley, 
Clifford Couch, Thomas Snowden, Ed- 
ward Burger, David Hartstein, Clifford 
Denike, Herbert Griffin, John Mabie, 
2d, Fred T. Slack, Harry Stevenson, 
Rev. Clarence P. McClelland, Jacob 
Fish, Louis Ettlinger, Daniel Odell, 
Rev. Richard H. Tobin, John Towart, 
Jr., James J. Manning, Thos. C. Gard- 
ner, Geo. P. Wygant, James A. Barker, 
George W. Robertson, Clinton S. Bird, 
Harry W. Cortiss, Frank M. Dain, Rob- 
ert Valentine, George F. Canfield, Ed- 
ward Balluffi, Samuel Levy, Enoch J. 
Tompkins, J. Homer Wright, A. J. 
Mason, Douglas Macduff, Dr. P. W. 
O'Brien, John E. Holden, Louis Lau- 
dati. Rev. F. G. Illsley, E. C. Alsop, 
Robert F. Barrett, Joseph M. Fox, 
Charles N. Wells, Coleridge A. Hart, 
Fred W. Otte, Jr., Isadore Wolff, D. 
Levinson, Louis Keller; A. E. Linder 
and F. J. Welton (Mohegan Lake). 

Their first meeting was held Tues- 
day evening, June 29, 1915. By reso- 
lution Leverett F. Criimb, president of 
the village, was added to the commit- 
tee. The following other officers were 
elected: Vice-chairman, William H. H. 
MacKellar; secretary, Albert E. Cru- 
ger; assistant secretary, Karl M. Sher- 
man; treasurer, Hon. Cornelius A. 
Pugsley. 

The chairman of the general com- 
mittee, Chester De Witt Pugsley, 
named a number of sub-committees 
with chairmen as follows: 

Finance — Hon. Isaac H. Smith. 

Executive — Chester De Witt Pugsley, 
ex-officio. 

Parade — Fred A. Smith. 

Illumination and Decoration — A. S. 
Renza. 

Publicity— Clifford Couch. 

Historical and Public Exercises — 
Hon. I.,everett F. Crumb. 

Carnival — William F. Hoehn. 

Athletic Events— Eli R. Russell. 

The Executive Committee comprised 
the officers; Isaac H. Smith, chairman 
of Finance Committee; Fred A. Smith, 



chairman of Parade Committee; L. F. 
Crumb, chairman Historical Commit- 
tee; A. S. Renza, chairman Illumina- 
tion and Decoration Committee; Eli R. 
Russell, chairman Athletic Events 
Committee; Clifford Couch, chairman 
Publicity Committee; Wm. F. Hoehn, 
chairman Carnival Committee, and 
Thomas Nelson, Jr., Edward F. Hill, 
George Naylor, Jr., Martin Nilsson, 
William E. Lane, Jr., Richard H. Rixon, 
Edward E. Young, John S. Baker, Hon. 
James W. Husted, James K. Apgar, 
Geo. E. McCoy, William Lawson, Geo. 
E. Briggs, Melvin R. Horton, Clifton 
E. Forbush, James V. Clune, Harry W. 
Cortiss, Jacob Fish, Frank M. Dain, 
Daniel Odell and Cassius M. Gardner. 
These committees met from time to 
time in the Municipal Building and 
formulated the plans which carried out 
resulted in the largest and most ex- 
tensive celebration ever held in Peeks- 
kill which in the following pages is 
described in detail and which is placed 
in this permanent form as a result of 
a resolution passed at the final meet- 
ing of the committee held July 6, 1916, 
which provided that the book should 
be compiled by Geo. E. Briggs, editor 
of the Highland Democrat, aided by a 
committee, Messrs. Leverett F. Crumb 
and Karl M. Sherman, appointed by the 
chairman of the general committee. 

MR, DEPEW OPEIVS CELEBRATION. 

The first important event of the cen- 
tennial celebration took place on Fri- 
day evening, June 30, 1916, when ex- 
Senator Chauncey M. Depew addressed 
his fellow townsmen in the auditorium 
of the Guardian. 

The auditorium, brilliantly illumi- 
nated, was well filled with Peekskill 
people, women and young ladies pre- 
dominating. 

On the stage, in addition to ex-Sen- 
ator Depew was Congressman Husted, 
the chairman of the evening and the 
president of the Cortlandtown Soldiers' 
Monument Association, under whose 
auspices the meeting was held, and 
also John Halsted, John Smith, Jr., 
Rev. Father Richard H. Tobin, San- 
ford R. Knapp, Henry S. Free, Homer 
Anderson, George L. Hughson, Frank- 
lin Couch and William J. Charlton; 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



Sanford R. Knapp, John Halsted and 
Chauncey M. Depew, all three born in 
Peekskill, are each over eighty-two 
years of age. 

The exercises of the evening were 
opened with an overture, "Cumber- 
land March," by Mrs. Grippen's or- 
chestra of seven pieces. 

Congressman Husted, in a few felici- 
tous remarks, presented Rev. Father 
Tobin, who made a brief but very 
charming address of welcome to the 
audience and to the guest and speaker 
of the evening. 




Hon. Chauncey M. DepeAv. 

Congressman Husted then in a few 
more extended remarks presented 
Peekskill's "most distinguished son 
and America's greatest orator." 

Ex-Senator Depew was in good form. 
He looked well and spoke with old 
time vigor. Few would suspect that 
he was born in this village over four 
score years ago. He began speaking 
at 8.20 and concluded his address at 
9.40 p.m. 

After he had finished, Chairman Hus- 
ted said that Senator Depew must leave 
at once to take his special train back 
to New York City and moved a vote 
of thanks to the Senator for his cour- 



tesy in coming to his old town and 
speaking to its people. The vote was 
given with a chorus of ayes. The 
speaker of the evening waved a fare- 
well and said a few words of good-bye 
and left. 

Another selection by the orchestra 
concluded the program of the evening. 

As the people passed out the orches- 
tra played "Grand American Fantasie." 

3Ir. Depew's Address. 
Ladies and Gentlemen, and I think I 
may add, My Fellow Townsmen: 

To be in Peekskill has been a pleas- 
j ure for me all my life. It is a great 
1 pleasure to participate in the cere- 
mony which celebrates the hun- 
dredth anniversary of the formation 
of our village government. For 
eighty-two years of that hundred I 
have been either a resident or a fre- 
quent visitor, and always deeply inter- 
ested in the affairs, the welfare and 
the prosperity of the town. Historj' 
moves in cycles, each century has its 
characteristic and its contribution to 
the advancement of the world. We 
have had many of them within the 
last thirty years. I had the honor to 
be the orator at the four hundredth 
celebration of the discovery of Amer- 
ica by Columbus, and shared it with 
that distinguished citizen, veteran 
journalist and original thinker. Colo- 
nel Watterson, of Kentucky. I was 
also the orator on the occasion of the 
centenary of the inauguration of our 
first President, and the centenary of 
the formation of the Legislature in 
our State. 

There is no period in recorded 
times during which so much was ac- 
complished for liberty and enfran- 
chisement, humanity, invention, dis- 
covery and the progress and develop- 
ment of the world. This century, 
which covers the life of our village, 
began with the close of the war of 
1812, and ends when civilization and 
Christianity, and all the precious vic- 
tories of peace of this century are at 
stake upon the bloodiest battlefields, 
and in the most frightful and destruc- 
tive war of all time. 

1916 marked a cleavage in the in- 
dustrial policy of our country between 
the past and the future. Up to the be- 
ginning of the war of 1812 we had 
been almost purely an agricultural 
people. Our manufactures were few 
and very weak. The one industry in 
which we excelled was the carrying 



1816— PEEK3KILL CEXTEXXIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



trade upon the ocean. Our ships were 
the best in the merchant marines of 
the world, and our sailors the most 
skillful and enterprising. The war of 
1812 was entered upon with hilarity 
and hailed with the wildest enthus- 
iasm. Peace, three years afterwards, 
was hailed with equal hilarity and en- 
thusiasm. Blockade and embargo, 
during that period, closed our ports. 
There was the greatest distress in our 
seaport cities and along our coast; 
our ships lay idle at the wharfs, and 
the large number of men engaged in 
this industry were out of employ- 
ment, as were the merchants and 
those who were dependent upon them 
and their enterprises. But a condi- 
tion was produced, which is nearly du 
plicated at the present time. We were 
dependent upon Europe for our cot- 
ton, woolen and silk goods, and for 
nearly all the manufactures in iron. 
Necessity lead to the utilization of 
the water power and the building of 
numerous factories for the manufac- 
ture of cotton and woolen goods and 
some iron. When the war closed, 
what happened may occur again after 
a hundred years. Napoleon had been 
defeated at Waterloo and was a 
prisoner at St. Helena. The vast 
armies which had crushed him were 
disbanded and the troops left to shift 
for themselves and earn their own 
living. They rushed to the factories 
for employment. The surplus of la- 
bor lead to lower wages and cheaper 
cost of production. To help their own 
industries, the Continental Nations 
raised barriers against English impor- 
tations. The result was that this vast 
and constantly increasing product of 
the English factories was dumped in 
to our ports. The ordinary agencies 
of purchase and distribution were un- 
equal to the task of marketing, so auc- 
tions were held in every port with the 
result of flooding the country and 
closing American mills. Among the 
articles of which vast quantities were 
sold and distributed were Yorkshire 
cloth, Scotch muslins, blankets, flush- 
ings, plushes, taffetas, silks, jackette 
muslins, bombasettes, kerseys, soap, 1 
nails, salt, bed covers, tacks, pencil 
cases, matches, tooth brushes, pins, 1 
grind stones, cast iron pots, tea ket 
ties, iron bolts, axes, hose, spades, I 
plough shafts, lightning rods, zinc, ' 
stoves, wool and iron and pipes. As j 
most of these things were not pro- 
duced here the country had been I 



! without them during the war. Our de- 
pendence upon Europe for most of the 
necessities of life made an impression 
upon the people which they never had 
before. An agitation was started 
I without regard to party, at first, to 
protect the cotton and wool manufac- 
ture, and next to relieve us by home 
i production of this dependence upon 
Europe, which might at any time be 
shut off by war It may be safely as- 
j serted that the policies, which lead in 
time to our manufacturing at home 
every necessity, and to our indepen- 
; dence of the rest of the world, was 
due to this rude awakening of three 
years of increasing privation and the 
' grasp of the necessities of the situa- 
tion which became so universal in 
1816. 
Another great era opened in our Na- 
I tional development because of the ex- 
I reriences of the war. While agricul- 
ture was fairly prosperous, the dis- 
tress, unemployment and difficulties 
of earning a living was very great in 
! other departments. Soup houses first 
! appeared during this period. The 
more energetic, both men and women, 
among the people who could find no 
; employment moved West, where lands 
I were free. This emigration assumed 
j such a large proportion as to frighten 
the old States. In seeking methods to 
protect themselves there arose a won- 
derful and widespread movement for 
internal improvements. Canals were 
projected and highways and public 
roads laid out and opened. The effort 
^ of the States was to settle these fly- 
[ ing people, who were among the best 
I of their citizens, within their own 
i borders where there was plenty of 
land but inaccessible, instead of hav- 
ing them go along the Great Lakes 
and to the West and Northwest. In 
our own State, that far-sighted States- 
man DeWitt Clinton conceived the . 
idea of the Erie and Champlain Canals 
and uniting the Great Lakes with the 
Hudson. In 1816. he had overcome all 
political opposition and the great work 
was fairly inaugurated. We must re- 
member that water was the only 
means of transportation for consider- 
able distances a hundred years ago 
The Erie Canal gave to New York its 
cities of I^tica, Syracuse, Rochester 
and Buffalo: it settled the Valleys of 
the Mohawk and the Genesee; it was 
largely contributory to the building 
of all the States bordering upon the 
Great Lakes; it made New York the 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



Empire State and its city the me- 
tropolis of the Western World. 

In 1816 the seas were free as a result 
of the war. Our shipping in the por*3, ' 
for the preservation of the masts and 
rigging during the w^ar had tar bar- 
rels on top of the spars which were 
called after President Madison, and in 
derision of his war, "Madison's Night- 
cap". With wuld jubilation "Madison's 
Nightcaps" were universally removed, 
the ships refitted and the movement 
became so great that our exports rose 
in a short time from five millions to 
forty-five millions a year. The impet- ' 
us thus given to American shipping 
gave us in time 80 per cent of the car- ; 
rying trade of the ocean. Our clipper 
ships outdistanced all others in speed 
and the American flag was on every 
ocean and in the majority in all the 
ports of the world. It is our misfor- 
tune and our disgrace that the Amer- 
ican merchant marine has fallen to 8 
per cent; that the American flag is 
unknown in foreign ports, practically 
and the continuing and very recent ; 
legislation, hostile to American ship- 
ping, has handed the Pacific Oqean 
over to the Japanese and Chinese, and j 
when normal conditions are restored 
and the world is at peace will prevent 
any resurrection of the American 
merchant marine. 

It was while these startling changes 
and revolutions, along the seacoast 
and in the interior, were making 
such brave beginnings that the citi- 
zens of Peekskill had the instinct and 
ambition for organization. About 
1683 a masterful man, a merchant of 
the City of New York, Stephanus Van 
Cortlandt, bought from different In- 
dian Chiefs and Tribes all the land 
between Croton Rivpr and Garrison, 
and eastward to the Connecticut line, 
with the exception of 1,800 acres in 
what is now Peekskill and vicinity, 
and 300 acres where the State camp 
is located. Van Courtlandt's grant 
amounted to 86,203 acres. The other 
land was bought by a combination, 
Richard Abramsen, Jacob Abramsen, 
Tennis De Kay, Seba Jacob and John 
Harxse. It was customary among the 
early Dutch settlers to change their 
names by taking the names of the 
places in Holland with which their 
families were connected. So the 
Abranisens became Lents and John 
Harxse became Kronkhyte. The major 
part of this became the property of 
Hercules Lent, who was the son of 



Richard Abramsen, Abramsen having 
changed his name to Lent from the 
town in Holland from which he came. 
Kronkhyte married Lent's daughter 
and one of his heirs. In the division 
of the Ryck Patent, the Kronkhyte 
property extended from the Mc- 
Gregory's brook which runs down 
Center street and ran southward be- 
yond the present limits of the village 
and included what is now known as 
Depew Park. Kronkhyte was my an- 
cestor and through him I am very 
proud of being among the first settlers 
of Peekskill. The Indians of this 
neighborhood were of the Mohegan 
Tribe; they were divided into small- 
er tribes but confederated together 
Mith a federal relationship with the 
six nations on the Mohawk. Chief 
Sarhus was the Chief governing all 
the land from Verplancks Point to An- 
thony's Nose. His chief village and 
residence were here and named 
Sarhus. His neighbor and relative to 
the south was Chief Knoton who gov- 
; erned the territory covering the 
mouth of the Croton and joining Chief 
Sachus' territory at Verplanck's Point. 
i The corruption of Knoton into Croton 
by the English gives us the present 
name of the water supply of New 
I York. The 1,800 acres purchased by 
I these men, whom I have mentioned, 
j v/as known as Ryck's Patent, and the 
title was confirmed subsequently af- 
ter the English conquered New York 
by Governor Dongan 

There was not much progress made 
In the development of our village 
prior to 1816. The people were farm- 
ers with some home industries carried 
on in their own houses for the con- 
venience of the neighborhood. They 
early, however, appreciated the value 
of being the center of the transporta- 
tion or the country roimd about. They 
extended what is now the Crompond 
Road to the Connecticut line and up 
to Danbury; they ran what afterwards 
became known on the north as Peeks- 
kill Turnpike far out into the country, 
the Albany postroad, which was the 
main highway and had been before 
the Revolution between New York 
and Albany, ran through the center 
of the village and so on through 
highlands. Our enterprising ancestors 
put sloops upon the river until at one 
time there was a fleet of about a 
dozen. This made Peekskill the 
market town of a territory which in- 
cluded all the settlements far intp 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CEXTEXXIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



Connecticut. I can remember as 
boy when these great Arks, some 



ingston, built the first steamboat, 
named her the Clermont after 



He 

Mr. 



times with two horses and some times T^iyingston's home ^ on _the ^Hudson 

with four attached, would gather up 

the produce of the farmers along the 

highways; bring it down to the 

sloops; purchase and carry back 

either purchases from New York, or 

from the village stores, the groceries, 

cloths and farm implements needed 

by the farmers. The early captains, 

who ran these sloops, were important , ^^^^^ B^bbv Try 'something 'else," 

personages m the village. They 

brought back from their trips to New 

York all the news of the day. They 



When she started from New York for 
Albany in 1808 an immense crowd 
gathered on the wharf. They were all 
sceptics. Fulton and Livingston had 
with them on the boat about twenty 
friends. At first the engines did not 
work well, and then the boat hesi- 
tated, whereupon the crowd began to 
shout, "A fool and his money is soon 



look out you'll blow up". Suddenly, 
with an immense volume of smoke 
from the wood fires bursting out of 



were the most prosperous of the peo- 1 ^j^^ ^^^^^,^ ^^^^j, ^^^ paddles began to 
pie. The farmers nearer by sent 



their own produce to New York by 
these sloops; the sloop captains, not 
only carried the produce and cattle, 
but marketed them in New York, so 
that they were both navigators and 
commission merchants. One of the 
captains told me that a young farmer 
came to his sloop with one calf and 
also insisted upon being a passenger 
to sell that calf himself in New York. 
The one calf grew to droves of cattle 
and then to larger herds, too numer- 



turn and the boat shot out into the 
I river with Robert Fulton at the helm 

and started on her trial trip for Al- 
I bany. Those on the boat threw their 
; hats in the air and cheered until they 

were hoarse. The thousand sceptics 
i on the shore were instantly converted 
! — the day of pentecost had come for 

navigation by steam. In time the 

steamboat competed with, and then 
! destroyed the sloops. It was another 

instance of which the world is full 

where an invention wipes out existing 



ous for the sloops, which were driven ^^-t.^, „„ , ;v,„^^+v>,^r,+ „^^ „.-fi, u 
. -r, It, TT J • It -tr 1 J ^1 capital and investment, and with it 

to Bull's Head m New York and there ^, *; „„,,,i^„^„„t „* t\. ^^^ac 

the employment of thousands. 

That remarkable genius, Com. Van- 



sold. This young man became the 
Cattle King and then he became the 
largest speculator in Wall Street; at 
one time he practically owned and ; dividual, firm or corporation. 



derbilt, soon demonstrated that no in- 
coulJ 



dominated the Erie Railroad; his ac- successfully compete with him. He 
cumulations at the height of his for- P"* ^ boat on to Peekskill and com- 
tune amounted to twentv millions of Pelled the existing line to surrender 
dollars; he died poor; he was Daniel ; He was rapidly monopolizing the traf- 
Drew. He founded Academies and ^^ of the Hudson when the discovery 
Seminaries, but instead of endowing 1 of California drew his attention to the 
them with the monev which he could enormous profits m the steamship 



well have done, he gave his notes and 
credit for their maintenance. I knew 



business between New York and Cal- 
ifornia. In a short time he had com- 



him verv well and was told bv one of ' Polled all the old lines to surrender 
his intimates that the reason for his ' «nd was sole master of the traffic situ 
building these educational and theo { ^.tion. 
logical institutions and then leaving | When the larger and faster steam- 



them in this peril was an idea that if 
their existence depended upon his 
solvency and wealth God would pro- 
tect both. The result showed that the 
Lord disapproved of the transaction. 

In 1816 navigation of the river by 
steam had become a success, newer 
and larger boats were being put on. 
The first boat, the Clermont made 
four miles an hour; the speed was in- 
creased with the years until the Mary 
Powell made twenty miles an hour. 
Robert Fulton, the Inventor of steam 
as applied to navigation, had, with the 
financial assistance of Robert R. Liv- 



boats had been completed, and were 
racing with each other, their perform- 
ances were the romances of the river. 
Their names were household words. 
The "Armenia", "The Alida", "The 
Francis Sciddy", "The Hendrdck Hud- 
son", and "The Chauncey Vibbard" 
all had their enthusiastic partisans 
When I was a boy the entire popula- 
tion would gather on the river bank 
to see the boats enter Peekskill bay 
and disappear through the highlands. 
It was usually late in the afternoon. 
They ran on an accurate schedule 
They were so near alike in speed 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



that, in 1849 the "Hendrick Hudson" | 
and "The Alida" raced from New ; 
York to Albany, one hundred and for- j 
ty miles, there was only fifteen min- 
utes difference in their arrival. The 
excitement and the wagering on their 
favorite boat became so great among 
our people that, if the Legislature haJ j 
not passed an act prohibiting racing 
on the river, our people might have 
become a population of gamblers. 

The steamboat never took the place 
of the sloops in drawing traffic to the 
village, but a worse blow to that traf- 
fic than the steamboat was the com- 
pletion of the Harlem Railroad. It cut 
off entirely the Connecticut contribu- 
tion and also took to itself a large sec- 
tion on the Westchester and Putnam 
side. It ran on an average within 
fifteen miles of the village and fur- 
nished facilities for reaching New- 
York, with which the river could not 
compete. | 

That remarkable automobile man- 
ufacturer and pacificist, Mr. Ford, was 
quoted in an interview the other day 
as saying "History is more or less 
bunk, it is tradition. We don't want ' 
tradition — we want to live in the pres- 
ent, and the only history that is 
worth a tinker's damn is the history 
we live to-day". I differ entirely from 
Mr. Ford. It is the history of the 
past which makes possible the history 
we make to-day. The American Rev- 
olution made us a free people, and 
created our Republic. The Civil War , 
cemented the union of the States and 
made the Declaration of Independence i 
true in spirit as well as letter by en- 1 
franchising the slave. We, here to-day 
can rejoice in traditions as glorious ' 
and inspiring as belong to any othei 1 
part of our country. This was 
the key to the highlands and a 
recent writer has said that Peeks- 
kill was the heart of the Revolu- 
tion. The plan of campaign agreed 
upon by the British Military Staff was 
to divide the coimtry by the Hudson 
River. It was to seize and fortify 
the passes of the Highlands and pre- 
vent communication between New 
England, New York and the South. 
It was to accomplish this purpose that 
when Sir Henry Clinton had failed to 
break through and pass West Point 
on the south that Burgoyne came 
down with his army from the north 
and met his fate at Saratoga in one 
of the few decisive battles of the 
world. The Americans on their side 



built forts Clinton and Montgomery 
opposite Anthony's Nose, ran an iron 
chain across the river from Anthony's 
Nose to Fort Montgomery and made 
West Point the strongest of their for- 
tifications with always the strongest 
lesident garrison commanded by one 
of the ablest and most reliable of the 
Revolutionary Generals. After the 
battle of Long Island and the retreat 
of the American Army to White 
Plains, and after the battle of White 
Plains, and the retreat of the Ameri- 
can army further north to the hills 
near the village, Westchester County, 
as far north as Dobbs Ferry, was in 
possession of of the British and this 
included New York and Long Island 
until the close of the war. While 
from Dobbs Ferry north to the town 
of Cortlandt line was the neutral 
ground raided by both parties, and 
only temporarily held by either. Peeks- 
kill with its impregnable passes north 
to West Point, became and continued 
until the end of the war the camping 
ground of large sections of the Ameri- 
can Army, and the headquarters of 
Washington, Putnam, McDougal, La- 
fayette and others. Through our 
streets passed Rochambeau and the 
French Army on their way South to 
the final battle which closed the war 
at Yorktown, and again on their way 
north for Newport, and re-embark- 
ation for home. On the way home 
the French army encamped for 
a while on the Crompont Road just 
above the village. As Rochambeau, 
surrounded by his brilliant staff, was 
about to start, he was interrupted by 
a Peekskill constable informing him, 
while waving a writ of attachment, 
that he could not leave without pay- 
ing $3,000 in gold to a neighboring 
farmer because the farmer's orchard 
had been cut down for firewood. 
With Continental currency, the only 
currency we had, at a discount where 
$10 in gold would buy $100 in Con- 
tinental money, this made the farm- 
er's orchard worth $30,000. Probably 
for cash the whole township might 
have been bought for that amount. 
Rochambeau paid that deference of 
the military to the civil authority 
which lies at the foundation of our 
American institution, by leaving $1,- 
000 in gold and the case to be settled 
by arbitration among the farmer's 
neighbors. The neighbors awarded 
him $400. 



1816— PEEKSKILL CEXTEXXIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



King's Ferry of row boats and bat- 
teaus ran from Verplanck Point to 
Stony Point and was the only com- 
munication across the river for the 
Americans, so there was always a 
fort and garrison at Verplanck's Point. 
The Marquis Castellaux, who was in 
Rochambeau's army, and wrote a gos- 
sipy account of his American experi- 
ences, says that coming from the 
South he crossed over to Verplanck's 
Point and was at once entertained by 
General Washington. He says that 
the tents of the American Army, for 
shade purposes, were artistically fes- 
tooned with branches of. trees making 
it the most picturesque encampment 
he had ever seen. When he informed 
General Washington of his sufferings 
from fever and ague the General 
advised him to take two glasses of 
madeira before dinner and a glass of 
claret after dinner, and then a long 
ride on horse-back. The General fur- 
nished him with a horse and all the 
General's horses had been broken by 
himself. The Marquis says it was 
the finest horse, the best fitted and 
the surest footed he ever rode. With 
the General they took ditches and 
fences as if sailing over the prairies 
and the next morning his fever and 
ague were gone. According to our 
modern standards and beliefs what 
cured him was the horse. 

Benedict Arnold was always a favor- 
ite officer with General Washington. 
On account of being invalided because 
of losing his leg at Saratoga, Wash- 
ington gave him command at Phila- 
delphia. Arnold lived there a life of 
wild extravagance and brilliant en- 
tertainment. Peggy Shippen was the 
belle of the city. Like most of the 
aristocracy she and her family were 
Tory sympathizers. She captured Ma- 
jor Andre when he was the master 
of all social gaieties and festivities 
while the British held the city. Ar- 
nold, about forty years old, and a 
widower, fell madly in love with Peg- 
gy Shippen. His letter, making to her 
the proposal of marriage, proves him 
to have been a man of culture and 
refinement, and to have possessed 
many literary graces. It is one of 
the most fervid, beautifully phrased 
and ardent appeals to the heart of a 
maiden in the literature of love. Peg- 
gy surrendered. In celebrating the 
event the married couple in town 
bouse and country place lived far be- 



yond the General's means — they fell 
deeply in debt and were ever surround- 
ed by the flattery of his fashionable 
guests and their suggestions of the 
hopelessness of the cause, and the 
brilliant future that so fine a soldier 
would have if he deserted the Ameri- 
cans and joined the British Army. 
Arnold met General Washington at 
Verplanck's Point, when Washington 

I was on his way to meet the French. 

j Washington received him with great 
oordality and offered him the com- 
mand of the left wing of his army, a 
post of honor. Arnold said that on 

j account of his leg not yet healed, he 
could not take the field and asked 
for the command of West Point. Ar- 
nold was smarting under a decision 
of a Court Marshall before which he 
had recently been tried on account 
of his indiscretions and extravagances 
in Philadelphia. Arnold expected an 

i acquittal but the court decided upon 

I a reprimand, though old General Van 
Cortlandt, who presided said after- 
wards, "If the other members of the 
court had known Arnold as well as I, 
they would have voted for his dismiss- 
al from the army" Washington on ac- 
count of his confidence in Arnold, and 
his admiration for him administered 
the reprimand in such a way that a 
generous nature would have been eter- 
nally grateful. When Washington re- 
turned from meeting with the French 
Generals he stopped at the Birdsall 
House in Peekskill, and here one word 
for the present generation. In Revo- 
lutionary times hotels were called 
inns. They were the stopping places, 
and in a way the residences for the 
time being, of Statesmen, Soldiers, 
Diplomats and Merchants. The hotel- 

I keeper was an important personage 

I and a leader in every community. All 
political caucuses, all conferences 
among statesmen and politicians were 
held at these inns. Immediately oppo- 
site the Eagle on Main Street was 
the Mandeville House. Down Main 
Street, about a quarter of a mile and 
jutting half way across the highway 
was the Birdsall House. Mandeville 
and Birdsall were brothers-inlaw. The 
Birdsall House had the greatest social 
reputation. Washington and his ofii- 
cers always stopped there. In fact, 
I think that Washington passed more 
time at the Birdsall House than at 
any other of the many inns where he 
was entertained. At the Birdsall 



1816— PEEKSKILL CEXTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



House were held Councils of War, at 
which plans were perfected affecting 
not only the defences of the Hisjhlands 
and West Point, but campaigns j 
against New York and in the South. I 
Arnold met Washington at the Bird- 1 
sail House, renewed his request for j 
West Point and received the commis- j 
sion, departing the next day to his 
command. 

I will not recite the whole story | 
of the treason. It was a Peekskill 
boy, John Paulding, who had just es- 
caped from the military prison in 
New York, who with two other West- 
chester men, Williams and Van Wart, • 
effected the capture of Andre near 
Dobbs Frry. There are few incidents 
connected with Arnold's treason and 
its failure which seem to indicate a 
special Providence watching over the 
liberties of America and frustrating 
the ingenuity, skill and machinations | 
of Its enemies. j 

First had Major Andre obeyed the 
instructions of Sir Henry Clinton, he 
would not have come within the Amer- 
ican lines. Two farmers hid in the 
bushes and fired at a boat from the 
Vulture, which was coming toward 
shore and killed one of the sailors, I 
compelling the boat to row back to the I 
sloop of war Vulture which had ' 
brought Andre up to the meeting with 
Arnold, and was to take him back. 
These shots called the attention of 
Col. Livingston, who commanded at 
Verplanck's Point, to the possibility 
of driving the Vulture down stream 
or crippling her, by placing a gun 
on Teller's Point. The gun so placed 
was so skillfully handled by the gun- 
ners that the Vulture was compelled 
to raise anchor and drop so far down 
the river that it was impossible for 
Andre, who was conferring with Ar- 
nold, and completing the bargain for j 
the betrayal of West Point at Smith's 
House, near Haverstraw, to regain ! 
the warship. He had to make his way ! 
to New York through the American | 
lines with the plans and papers hid- 1 
den in his boot. Had Smith accom- 1 
panied him. with Arnold's pass, until 
within the British lines Andre would ' 
have undoubtedly escaped. Paulding 
had succeeded in escaping as a pris- i 
oner from New York in a British uni- j 
form loaned him by a friend. It was ! 
this uniform which deceived Andre 
in revealing himself to what he sup- : 
posed was a friendly patrol. Had j 
the blundering Major Jameson, who 



sent the note to Arnold, which Arnold 
received while at breakfast, announc- 
ing the capture of Andre, included the 
papers, description of West Point, dis- 
position to be made by Arnold of the 
troops and all things necessary for 
its easy capture, Arnold could have 
destroyed this incriminating evidence, 
but happily Major Jameson sent the 
papers by a subsequent messenger 
and, after Arnold had fled, they fell 
into the hands of his Aide Alexander 
Hamilton. But, says the critic, if these 
v/ere special Providence to save the 
American cause from this betrayal 
why was Arnold permitted to escape. 
It is not for me to interpret the ways 
of Providence, but it is a solution 
both plausible and probable that Ar- 
nold's punishment was to be worse 
than death.- He lived for twenty-one 
years after his treason execrated by 
his countrymen and treated with irri- 
tating and ill-concealed contempt by 
the British. He lost the $30,000, which 
was given him as the price of his 
treachery and suffered not only social 
ostracism but bankruptcy and want. 
He appears last in the dramatic in- 
terview with Talleyrand. Talleyrand, 
about to take the ship for New York, 
was told that an American was a 
guest in the hotel. Talleyrand sent 
his card and called He of course 
knew that Talleyrand, then a refugee, 
was one of the most famous states- 
men in Europe. Arnold said, "Sir, I 
am the only American who cannot 
give you a letter of introduction to 
a friend in America. I am Benedict 
Arnold". Benedict Arnold was a 
genius as a soldier, a man of extraor- 
dinary ability. Exaggerated vanity 
easily offended and the fearful temp- 
tations of debt and bankruptcy to a 
man who had acquired incurable hab- 
its of extravagance and luxury, who 
wished to surround a wife, whom he 
adored, with the things which only 
wealth can procure, and who had a 
morality so low that it sapped the 
foundations of patriotism, made Bene- 
dict Arnold the only traitor in Ameri- 
can history. 

At the Birdsall House Washington 
commissioned as members of his staff 
two of the most remarkable' young 
men of that period, Alexander Hamil- 
ton and Aaron Burr. Aaron Burr pre- 
sents a study in heredity. His father 
was the most noted preacher and edu- 
cator in the country and though the 
second president, the real founder of 



10 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CE\TEx\XIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



Princeton University. His mother was | 
thie daughter of the Reverend Jona- 
than Edwards, the most eminent di- 
vine preacher and theologian of his 
century. She possessed the intellect- 
ual force and vigor of her distinguish- 
ed father. His father and mother dy- 
ing Aaron Burr was brought up in i 
the family of his Uncle, also a distin- 
guished divine. Early in life he repu- 1 
dialed all his early teachings and be- 1 
came an Atheist. He became a great i 
lawyer and Vice President of the 
United States, but his moral charac- 
ter was bad, he formed a conspiracy 
to create an empire of the Western 
States and of Mexico, was tried for 1 
treason and narrowly escaped convic- 
tion. He killed Hamilton in a duel ' 
which he had forced and was exe- 
crated and shunned the rest of his life. 
Alexander Hamilton was an origi- i 
nal constructive genius. Talleyrand 
declared him to have the greatest 
mind he had ever met. Before he was 
twenty, he wrote painphlets in favor 
of the Revolution and stating the rea- 
son why the Americans should rebel, 
which were ascribed to the ablest men 
in the Colony. He was the confiden- 
tial advisor of Washington until the 
close of the war and afterwards, as 
a member of his cabinet, until Wash- 
ington retired from the Presidency. 
He was largely the author of the Con- 
stitution of the United States and he 
created our revenue system so wisely 
that it has been little changed as it 
came from his creative mind. After 
a few months Washington, seeing the 
character of Burr, discontinued him 
from his staff. 

One of the most famous sayings of 
the French poet Beranger is, "As long 
as I write the songs of the people, 
I do not care who makes their laws". 
New England has been fortunate in 
men of genius, who, in prose and 
poetry, in oratory and narrative, have 
proclaimed every incident of their his- 
tory and made famous every field and 
hill and rock from Plymouth Rock to 
Bunker Hill. The Dutch, and those 
who settled with them in New York, 
did not have these chroniclers. Hap- 
pily however for Westchester, Wash- 
ington Irving and James Fenimore 
Cooper lived for many years within 
our borders. We are indebted to 
Cooper for the story of The Spy, the 
best of his many novels. The Spy 
was Harvey Birch in the book and 



Enoch Crosby in life. To understand 
Enoch Crosby one must know the con- 
ditions in our county during the war. 
There was always at Peekskill a large 
body of American troops, sometimes 
including the main body of the Amer- 
ican Army, while thirty miles below 
were the British outposts and forty 
miles below in New York were tho 
headquarters of the British Army. 
The inhabitants of Westchester were 
about equally divided between those 
whose sympathy was with the patriot 
cause, and those whose sympathy was 
with a continuance of relations with 
the Mother country. Two regiments 
for the Continental and three of 
loyalists for the British Army 
were raised in the county. In ad- 
dition to that nearly every male 
was an irregular belonging to one side 
or the other. Under such conditions 
spies were invaluable and received 
no mercy on either side. All the 
accomplishments, the wonderful 
charm, the high position and brilliant 
future of Major Andre could not save 
him, nor, on the other hand, could the 
same considerations save Nathan 
Hale. 

In 1777 that stirring patriot and 
stern old fighter, General Israel Put- 
nam, commanded at Peekskill. He 
had arrested a spy named Edmund 
Palmer He was of such consideration 
that Sir Henry Clinton sent a letter, 
with a flag of truce, insisting on his 
j release. In reply was sent this famous 
I answer, "Headquarters, seventh Au- 
gust, 1777, Sir: Edmund Palmer, an 
officer in the enemy's service, was ta- 
ken as a spy, lurking within the Amer- 
j ican lines. He had been tried as a 
t spy, condemned as a spy and shall 
be executed as a spy, and the flag is 
I ordered to depart immediately. Is- 
] rael Putnam". "P. S.- — He has accord- 
ingly been executed". Callow's Hill, 
[ just north of where we are, has re- 
mained ever since a memorial of this 
event. A spy named Strang was also 
[ hanged on the old oak on Academy 
1 Hill. To emphasize the execution, 
and terrorize the spies, General Mc- 
I Dougal paraded the whole army 
around the tree. Enoch Crosby was 
I an apprentice to a shoemaker in 
i Peekskill until he was twenty-one. 
] He had fought as a boy in the French 
and Indian War. He returned to Con- 
necticut and was working at his trade 
1 when he thought it his duty to join 



1816— PEEKSKILL CEXTEXXIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



the American Army. He started to j 
walk to Peekskill and, stopping at 
farmers' houses on the the way, learn- 
ed from his hosts that there were ; 
secret meetings of the Tories and re- 
cruiting stations for the enemy. He 
decided that he could perform better 
service to his country by taking the 1 
risks of the spy, and exposing these ' 
secret enemies. He unfolded his plan : 
to the Committee of Safety, of whom ; 
the leading members were Col. Van 
Cortlandt and John Jay, afterwards 
Chief Justice. He made but one re- 
quest which was, that if taken and 
executed justice should be done to 
his memory. He was in more danger 
from his own side than the other, 
because, in order to have the confi- 
dence of the Tories, learn their plans, 
disclose their places of meeting, and 
sometimes be captured with them, he 
had to appear to his own people as the j 
enemy's spy. He was rescued from 
death after condemnation several 
times by the Committee of Safety, or 
by General Washington. Of course, 
this had to be done secretly and dra- 
matically by providing means of es- 
cape always attended with great peril. 
His services were of incalculable val- 
ue. After the war, he purchased a 
farm of 230 acres in the western part 
of the county, became a supervisor j 
and a justice of the peace and lived 
until past 85 years of age His story 
was told to Fenimore Cooper by Chief i 
Justice Jay, who, as a member of the ; 
Committee of Safety, knew everj^ de- 1 
tail When I was a boy the place 
where Harvey Birch hid, in the hill 
overlooking the village on the north, 
was a place of great interest and fre- 
quent visitation, and inspiration in 
the study of American history. 

We are here tonight under the aus- 
pices of Abraham Vosburgh Post of 
the Grand Army of the Republic, and 
this brings us to the service rendered 
by our town in the Civil War. When 
I was a boy there were still surviving 
in the village a number of veterans 
of the Revolutionary War. They were 
always in evidence on the Fourth of 
July and other patriotic occasions. 
So, we have with us today many sur- 
vivors of the war for the preserva- 
tion of the Union. We furnished two 
remarkable soldiers. Col. Garrett 
Dyckman and Gen. J. Howard Hitch- 
ing. Colonel Dyckman received re- 
peated commendations for gallantry 
in the field. I secured the appoint 



ment of Colonel Kitching as Lieuten- 
ant Colonel of the Westchester regi- 
ment, commanded by Colonel Morris. 
When Morris was made a Brigadier 
General, Colonel Kitching became 
commander of the regiment After 
winning honors and distinction in 
many battles he was mortally wound- 
ed at Cedar Creek. Another officer 
of that regiment was Major Edmon B. 
Travis. I have three recollections as 
vivid today as in the past. It was a 
beautiful Sunday morning when the 
churches closed their morning ser- 
vices, and all the people were on their 
way home. They were met by boys 
shouting the New York papers which 
had just arrived, and which contained 
an account of the firing on Sumter. 
Every one grasped the terrible mean- 
ing and the frightful consequences of 
this bombardment. In answer to the 
first call of the President, a company 
was raised in the village and, attend- 
ed by the whole population to the 
depot, started for the war. It is sin- 
gular how soon we become dulled and 
indifferent to tragedies. We feel it 
now in this world war, when horrors 
of battle and of starving people, of 
unequal magnitude in the past, are 
occurring every day and scarce re- 
ceive any attention or consideration. 
So frequent had been the enlistments 
and departures for the front that when 
Major Travis, who had enrolled a com- 
pany from our village boys, marched 
through the streets on Saturday our 
market day to the depot, the crowds 
engaged in marketing and buying and 
selling neither stopped their merchan- 
dising, nor turned to gaze at the de- 
parting soldiers, nor raised a cheer. 
It was an ordinary event of the times. 
I was adjutant of the 18th regiment of 
the National Guard and received an 
order one evening from the Adjutant 
General of the State to have the regi- 
ment mustered in at Yonkers to pro- 
ceed to the front in three days to as- 
sist in repelling the invasion which 
was stopped at Gettysburgh. That 
regiment was composed almost en- 
tirely of business men and farmers 
approaching middle life and having 
families. In that way, it excited far 
more local interest than did the hero- 
ic departure of young volunteers. 
General Sherman, one of the most gal- 
lant of soldiers, fascinating compan- 
ions, and brilliant of men, said to me 
banteringly at a banquet years after- 
ward, "Tell us what the 18th Regiment 



12 



1816— PEEKSKILL CEXTEXXIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



of the National Guard did". "Well", upon my mother, I am a living and 
I said, "General Lee and his officers happy witness 



were graduates of West Point. They 
knew from that association the his- 
tory of the Highlands, and the quality 
of the men who lived there. It has 
never been ascertained why Lee so 
suddenly decided to cross Harper's 
Ferry and return into Virginia with 
his army, but it is a historical fact 
that this event, which ended the north- 
ern campaign of the Confederates, was 
coincident with the arrival of the 18th 
Regiment at Baltimore". This town 
contributed to the Union Army, dur- 
ing the Civil War 1,180 men out of a 



We glory in the Hudson. I have 
celebrated it, and incidentally Peeks- 
kill, all over the world. In order to 
give local color, I used to locate ail 
my stories used to illustrate points 
in speeches in our village. In Lon- 
don the newspapers have booths in 
the streets and charcoal on white 
paper are the contents of each. Walk- 
ing one day down Piccadilly my eye 
caught the sign on one of these ad- 
vertisements, "What happens up in 
Peekskill". I bought the paper and 
found several columns with this head- 



population of 11,074. The same per , . „^, „ ^^ i 

centage applied to the population of^^^.; "Chauncey Depew a well known 
the United States todav would put : ^^If/^^^^™^"^ "^' ^f ^°™ .f Pf k^" 
into the field an American Army of ^^^^-^^'^^t "^^7' , .f^^^^. ^^1^«, ^/o™ 
over ten millions of men. ! ^ew \ork. Peekskill is inhabited by 

„, , 1 a singular and original people of 

\\ e turn from the stirring scenes ^y^^^^ ^r. Depew is fond of telling. 



of war to a brief reference to our town 
in peace. The ruin which would have 
come from the diversion of our trade 
was more than made up by our en- 
terprising citizens entering the field 
of manufactures. While our popula- 
tion was long ago sufficient under 
the law for us to incorporate as a 
city, we are proud to remain as the 



The following are some of the things 
which he says happened up in Peeks- 
kill". 

When I first sailed down the Rhine, 
I heard so much and read so much 
that I expected to discover the most 
wonderful of rivers. I do not think 
it was local pride or partisanship 



largest village in the United States, i which lead me to conclude that in 
Co-incident with material progress beauty, picturesqueness and grandeur 



our people early turned their atten- 
tion to education. The Academy, 
built eighty years ago, without for- 
eign assistance, has for four-score 
years prepared boys for college and 
usefulness in every department of act- 
ive life. There has also come within 
our limits successful institutions for 
learning, both for young men and 
young women which are known all 
over the country. Churches of all 



it did not equal our Hudson. Its 
great charms were in the legends 
which invested with a story generally 
tragic every turn and crag and castle. 
Happily the genius of Washington Irv- 
ing has done much to make classic 
our own Hudson. "The Legend of 
Sleepy Hollow" endures and will en- 
dure, though the old bridge has dis- 
appeared, as long as literature lives. 
"The Phantom Ship" will forever fly 



denominations were built and success- [ in wild storms up and down the river. 



fully continued. I recall the first 
minister I remember, the Rev. Wil- 
liam Marshall of the First Presbyte- 
rian Church. He was born in Scot- 
land and his accent was so broad that 
it was a liberal education to under- 
stand him, but he M^as a very learned 
man and a wonderful doctrinal theo- 
logian When my mother, who was a 
devoted member of his church, as 
was her mother, told him of her ap- 
proaching marriage and asked him to 
perform the ceremony he said, "Mar- 
tha, marriage is a rabble and a rout, 
those who are out wish they were in, 
and those who are in wish they were 
out" That this warning of the ven- 
erable pastor made no impression 



The Little Bulbous Bottomed Dutch 
Goblin" in trunk hose and sugar-loaf 
hat with speaking trumpet in his hand, 
who keeps the Dunderburg opposite 
us, still reigns there supreme. In 
stormy weather he increases the rat- 
tling of the thunder and the fierceness 
of the gale Anthony's Nose rises to 
the north of us, and, as we pass 
through it on the railroad, or around 
it on the steamboat, there is recalled 
to us Irving's graphic description of 
how Anthony Van Corlcar, the trum- 
peter of the New Netherlands, whose 
nose is the largest and most highly 
colored/ in the Province, looked over 
the side of the boat and the rays of 
the rising sun striking his nose glan- 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CEXTEXXIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



ces off into the water and killed a 
mighty sturgeon. When Governor 

Stuyvesant, who was on board, heard 
the story and enjoyed the stur- 
geon, he said, hereafter this prom- 
ontory shall be known as "Anthony's 
Nose". So the tale of Rip Van Win- 
kle has made the Catskills classic 
ground. 

My friends, we stand on holy 
ground, it has been made sacred by 
the presence of Washington and La- 
fayette, of Rochambeau, Greene and 
Putnam. Within our borders were ma- 
tured the plans which made possible 
the victorious issue of the Revolution 
and the founding of the American Re- 
public. Our soil has been hallowed 
by the blood of patriots who gave 
their lives for their country The stu- 
dent of the early struggles for lib- 
erty and independence must come con- 
stantly back to the pages which re- 
count what was done here, and who 
were the actors here in the great 
drama of the creation of a free na- 
tion. It is a rare privilege for us and 
a grand lesson for every one, in all 
succeeding generations, that we can 
here receive and our posterity always 
be blessed by new baptisms of liberty. 







)Viii. H. H. MacKellar 

Vice-chairman of Committee 



S' 




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Peekskill Bay ?Iany Years Aeo 



14 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 191( 



THE RELIGIOUS FEATURES 

The religious phase of the centennial 
week was represented in services in 
the various churches on Sunday, July 2. 
Church of the Assumptiou. 

In connection with the centennial 
services at 11 a. m. a solemn high mass 
was celebrated at the Guardian Audi- 
torium with full ceremonial and full 
choir. Rev. William J. Melia was the 
celebrant. The feast of Sts. Peter and 
Paul falls this year on June 29, and 
the service of that feast was on Sunday. 

Rev. Father Melia used that service 
as a basis for the sermon which he 
preached. It was one of thanksgiving 
for the development of the church and 
its activties, and was listened to by 
a large congregation with close at- 
tention. 

The Union Serrices. 

A union service was held in St. 
Paul's M. E. Church on Sunday eve- 
ning at 7.45 o'clock. The two Meth- 
odist, the two Presbyterian and the 
Baptist and Reformed churches com- 
bined for the occasion. The church 
was filled to its capacity. 

Above the pulpit was draped an 
American flag. The decorations about 
the pulpit and choir loft were roses 
and ferns. 

On the pulpit platform from west to 
east were Rev. B. H. Everitt, of the 
First Presbyterian; Rev. Francis Ste- 
ver, of the First Baptist; Rev. Clar- 
ence P. McClelland, of the First M. E.; 
Rev. Dr. Allan MacRossie, the speaker 
of the evening; Rev. Thomas C. Straus, 
of the Second Presbyterian, and Rev. 
J. Wilbur Tetley, of St. Paul's. Rev. 
James Mulder, of Van Nest Church, 
was away on his vacation. St. Paul's 
choir was augmented by singers from 
the other churches. 

Following the organ prelude by Miss 
Katherine Anderson the doxology was 
sung and the invocation was offered by 
Rev. Mr. Everitt. 

Hymn 207, "The Church's One Foun- 
dation," was sung and Rev. Mr. Stever 
read sixteen verses of the fifth chap- 
ter of Matthew, the Beatitudes. 

Rev. Mr. Everitt, announcing the of- 
fering, said the money would be used 



to help defray the expenses of meet- 
ings in Depew Park. 

I During the taking of the offering 
Mrs. Grippen's orchestra assisted the 
organ. Rev. Mr. Tetley received the 
collection. 

! Rev. Thomas C. Straus offered prayer 
and Mrs. Bowman-Neely sang "Abide 
with Me." 

! Hymn 415, "Faith of Our Fathers," 
was sung, and Rev. Mr. McClelland 
spoke of the unity of the churches 
in Peekskill of the fact that the Pres- 
ident has kept us out of war, and pre- 
sented Rev. Dr. Allan MacRossie, who 
was to preach on the "Contribution of 
the Church to the Community Life." 

Dr. MacRossie went back to the days 
of old, and describing the ancient cities 
showed how though they were great in 
many ways they had contributed no 
great men. He came down the years to 
the cities which had contributed great 
men and then showed how the church 
had helped the big cities and the small 
through the centuries. Finally he 
reached Peekskill and the church's in- 

; fluence on this community. He spoke 

j very rapidly for forty-five minutes, 

i holding his audience every minute. 

! Hymn 420, "True-hearted, Whole 
hearted," was sung in closing and the 

' benediction was by Rev. Mr. Tetley. 

i The service closed at 9.25. 



I At the First Presbyterian. 

' One of the most interesting and ap- 
propriate of all the exercises attend- 
ing the Peekskill Centennial was the 
anniversary service held in the First 
Presbyterian Church on Sunday morn- 
ing. This church was ninety years old 
the Sunday previous and the birthday 
celebration was postponed one week 
so as to coincide with the Centennial 
Sunday. A large audience filled the 
church at the morning service at 11 
o'clock when the service was held. The 

[ church was appropriately decorated 
with the large church flag draped be- 
hind the pulpit desk and another flag 
upon the desk itself. 

This church was organized on Sun- 
day, June 25, 1826, with sixteen mem- 
bers, one of them coming from the 
Yorktown Church and the others com- 
ing from the old "church on the hill,'" 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



15 



which stood just north of the present 
Diven street and which was later 
merged into the Van Nest Reformed 
Church. This church was Congrega- 
tional in faith and government, and it 
was largely over the question of gov- 
ernment that the fifteen members sec- 
ceded and formed the First Presby- 
terian Church. 

But Presbyterianism in Peekskill and 
vicinity was much older than that, for 




blacksmith shop on South street. The 
frame of this First Presbyterian Church 
is still standing, having been moved 
and transformed into the dwellings at 
[ 1025 and 1027 Brown street. The origi- 
; nal building was torn down in 1846 to 
i make way for the new church, which 
still stands on the site. It was en- 
larged by an addition of thirty feet in 
1858, since which time the audience 
room of the church has been little dis- 
turbed, and the church stands to-day 
as a beautiful example of the old New 
England type of church architecture. 
The manse of the church was built in 
1870. 

The church is remarkable among 
other things for this fact, that it be- 
, lieves in long terms of service. Dur- 
ing all the ninety years it has had but 
seven pastors, including the present 



First Presbyterian Church 

the celebrated William Tennent, from 
New Jersey, had in all probability 
preached here, and in 1742, Rev. Will- 
iam Sackett was sent by the Presby- 
tery of New Brunswick, N. J., to the 
"Highlands, Crompond and White 
Plains." He labored in this region for 
forty-two years, largely at Yorktcwn 
and Bedford, the mother churches of 
this region. Thus it will be seen that 
Peekskill Presbyterianism came to us 
by way of Yorktown, and the records 
of the Yorktown Church show that 
payments were made "at Peekskill by 
their trustees" for the support of the 
gospel in that church from the year 
1787 until 1814. 

There was a church building erected 
on the site now occupied by the First 
Church in 1799, which Dr. Halliday 
said was "undoubtedly the first sanc- 
tuary that ever opened its doors in 
Peekskill." The First M. E. Church 
had been organized some time before, 
but was worshipping in a remodelled 




Rev. Beiij. ir. Everltt 

Pastor, First Presbyterian Church 



John H. Leggett, 
Marshall, 1831-43; 
D. D., 1843-67; John 
1868-76; J. Ritchie 
8 ; Alvah Grant Fes- 
Benjamin H. Ever- 
itt, 1903 to the present time. Two of 
these pastorates exceeded twenty years 
in length, and the church has within 
the past few years celebrated the fifty 
years of service of two of its elders. 



one. They were: 
1826-29; William 
David M. Halliday, 
M. Freeman, D. D., 
Smith, D. D., 1876-S 
senden, 1898-1903; 



16 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



Messrs. Uriah Hill, Jr., and Sanford 
R. Knapp. 

These were some of the facts brought 
out in the anniversary sermon prea,ched 
on Sunday by the pastor. His text was 
from 2 Thess. 2:15: "Therefore, breth- 
ren, stand fast and hold the traditions 
which you have been taught,"' and the 
sermon was a most interesting combi- 
nation of history and exhortation from 
the facts of that history. During the 
sermon the pastor brought out the good 
side of tradition as bringing to us 
the momentum of the past and asserted i 
that a church as an individual in the 
first years of its life got a "bent" or | 
tradition which ever followed it. Mr. i 
Everitt mentioned four traditions of 
the church illustrating each by some 
facts from its history and pleading! 
with the people to hold fast these j 
same traditions in the future. They I 
were: (1) Loyalty to the Fundamentals i 
of the Gospel; (2) World-wide Benevo- I 
lence, the church having always been 
known as a missionary church, having 
given one-half as much to mission 
causes as it has spent upon itself; (3) 
Spirit of Christian Unity with other 
Churches; (4) Community Service for 
the Public Good. 

Many of the facts mentioned were 
exceedingly interesting, especially to 
the older members of the congregation. 
During the service. Rev. Arthur Requa, 
one of the sons of the church, offered 
a prayer and the choir sang beautifully 
"The God of Abraham Praise." 

The hymns sung by the congregation 
with a great deal of enthusiasm were 
"The Church's One Foundation," "For 
All the Saints who from Their Labors 
Rest" and "Faith of Our Fathers." 

T>VO NAVY CRAFT WERE HERE. 

One of the interesting features of the 
centennial program was the presence 
of two naval vessels in Peekskill Bay, 
assigned to Peekskill by Secretary of 
the Navy Josephus Daniels at the re- 
quest of Chester De Witt Pugsley, 
chairman of the Centennial Committee. 

The two boats were the Cummings 
and the Worden. 

They are described and officered as 
follows: 

U. S. S. Cummings; type, destroyer; 



assigned to Sixth Division, Destroyer 
Force, Atlantic Fleet. 
Displacement, 1,060 tons. 
Length, 305 ft.; beam, 31 ft.; draft, 
11 ft. 

Armament, four 4-inch rapid fire 
guns and eight torpedo tubes. 

Complement — Five officers and 96 
men. 

Speed — 31 knots. 

Built by Bath Iron Works in 1913. 
Engines — Turbine. 
Boilers — Four Normand. 
Officers — Commanding, Lieut. Com- 
mander G. F. Neal; executive, Lieut. 
(Junior) F. M. Knox; engineer, Lieut. 
(Junior) M. W. Larimer; gunnery. En- 
sign H. B. Briggs; division, Ensign 
Maxwell Cole. 

U. S. S. Worden; coast torpedo boat. 
Assigned to duty with submarines, At- 
lantic fleet. 

Displacement, 420 tons. Length, 248 
feet. Beam, 23 feet. Draft, 10 feet. 

Armament, eight three-inch and six- 
pounders and two torpedo tubes. 

Complement — Two officers and fifty 
men. 

Speed— 29 knots. 
Built in 1901. 

Officers: Commanding, Lieutenant, 
'Junior Grade, J. M. Smith; executive, 
Lieutenant, Junior Grade, R. H. Booth. 
I The Cummings dropped anchor in 
the channel about 10.30 p. m. Saturday. 
Lieut. Commander G. F. Neal sent 
Ensign Maxwell Cole ashore, who got 
, in touch with President Crumb about 
11 p. m. and arranged for a formal call 
' at 10 a. m. Sunday. Just before that 
hour Lieutenant Commander Neal came 
I ashore in his launch. He was taken to 
I President Crumb's home,- 129 High 
street, by Grand Marshal Fred A. Smith 
In the latter's automobile. There he 
j was received by President Crumb, ex- 
! Congressman Cornelius A. Pugsley, 
j Fred A. Smith, Chester De Witt Pugs- 
j ley and Albert E. Cruger, chairman, 
i and secretary of the Centennial Com- 
mittee, Register Isaac H. Smith, Chief 
I of Police Richard W. McGinty, Chief of 
1 Fire Department Clifton E. Forbush 
and Park Commissioners Dr. Albert E. 
Phin and Geo. E. Briggs. 
1 After a pleasant chat following in- 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



17 



troductions on the veranda from which 
the Cummings was plainly visible in j 
the bay, the gentlemen gathered in the ^ 
parlor. There President Crumb made i 
one of his ever-ready addresses of wel- 
come, spoke of the centennial and em- 
blematically presented the keys of the 
village to Lieutenant Commander Neal. | 
The latter responded in a delightfully ; 
sincere and charming speech of thanks, | 
invited the president, village officers; 
and committeemen to call on the Cum- ! 
mings in the afternoon and so on and 
so on. Mrs. Crumb was then presented. 
Light refreshments were served and 
the naval officer departed, followed by| 
the committee of reception. . : 

In the afternoon the call was re- 
turned. Captain Willis Delemater's 
handsome new boat, the Bear Moun- 
tain, had been secured. At 2.10, at the 
centre dock, the lines were cast off 
and the prow of the commodious and | 
trim electric launch pointed toward 
the big "44" which loomed out in large 
figures on the bow (both sides) of the 
Cummings. 

On the Bear Mountain were Presi- 
dent and Mrs. Leverett F. Crumb, Hon. 
Cornelius A. Pugsley, Chester De Witt 
Pugsley, Trustees Robert Johns, Will- I 
iam H. Gish, Angelo Bleakley, Robert ! 
Valentine and Mrs. Valentine, Charles 
W. Oldfield and Mrs. Oldfield, Village 
Clerk Albert E. Cruger, Chief of Police 
and Mrs. Richard W. McGinty, Mr. and 
Mrs. Clifford Couch. Mr. and Mrs. Fred i 
A. Smith, Dr. and Mrs. John Archibald 
Smith, Fire Department Chief and Mrs. 
Clifton E. Forbush, Hon. Isaac H. 
Smith, Miss Geraldi'^e Valentine, Miss 
Marion Valentine, Dr. and Mrs. Albert 
E. Phin, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Morgan, of 
New York, the Misses Helen Scott and 
Roberta Scott, of New York, C. Hasket 
Forbush and Geo. E. Briggs. 

Arriving at the Cummings the offi- 
cial party were met at the deck by 
Lieutenant Commander Neal. They 
were escorted about the boat, fore and 
aft and into the bridge. Lieutenant 
Commander Neal and Ensigns Cole and 
Briggs explained the ship's parts, the 
rigging, the guns, the torpedoes and 
so on. Then there was a drill with the 
four-inch guns and the firing of them 
was exhibited, though, of course, the 



cartridges did not go off. A torpedo 
was then launched and the mechanism 
explained. The $7,000 torpedo was 
brought back by a boat crew and 
hauled aboard and replaced amid the 
wonder and admiration of the spec- 
tators. 

A visit was made to the officers' 
headquarters, where light refresh- 
ments were served and the gentlemen 
regaled with Corona cigars. 

Good-byes were said, and at 3.22 p.m. 
the delighted party were again landed 
at the centre dock. 

The Worden came in Monday after- 
noon late, and their officers partici- 
pated in the exercises, luncheon and 
events of Tuesday. 

By day the boats were decorated with 
flags, and at night with electric lights. 

On Tuesday evening Lieutenant Com- 
mander Neal and the officers of the 
flotilla entertained at dinner a party 
of Peekskill young ladies on board the 
Cummings. The occasion was a very 
pleasant one. The fireworks were wit- 
nessed from the ship. 

Both boats left during the night 
Tuesday. 

The officers were all fine fellows and 
were given a warm and cordial greet- 
ing by the committee. While here they 
were introduced to scores of our citi- 
zens and made a lasting impression. 
They will always be remembered in 
Peekskill. 



■yO' 







18 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



THE LUNCHEOX 0> 3I0NDAT. 

Before the parade on Monday a few 
distinguished visitors were entertained 
at luncheon at the Eagle Hotel by the 
committee. 

It was served at 12.45 p. m. in the 
Eagle dining room. Proprietor Win- 
ters served the following tempting 
menu: 

Grape Fruit au Marachino 

Soup 

Cream of Pullet a la Rltz 

Lamb Broth with Vegetables 

Relish 

Pickles, Lettuce. Sliced Cucumbers 

Fish 

Fried Lake Perch, Cream Potatoes 

Boiled 

Leg of Canadian Mutton, Caper Sauce 

Entrees 

Crab a la Newburgh on Toast 

Chinese Fritters, Sauce au Rum 

Golden Fricassee of Cliicken 

(Southern Style) 

Roast 

Prime Ribs of Beef au Jus 

Roast Long Island Duck 

Stewed Apples 

Combination Salad, Mayonnaise Dressing 

Vegetables 

Spinach with Eggs, Mashed Potatoes 

Boiled Potatoes, Butter Beets 

Dessert 

Apple, Blueberry, Pumpkin, Custard Pies 

Fruit Jelly with Cake 

Strawberry Short Cake 

Iced Watermelon 

Chocolate. Sundae, Fruit, Nuts 

Iced Tea, Coffee, Milk 

Those present were Rear Admiral 
French E. Chadwick, Senator George 
A. Slater, of Port Chester, Lieutenant 
Commander G. F. Neal, Ensigns Max- 
well Cole and H. M. Briggs, of the de- 
stroyer Cummings; Captain Charles W. 
Brown, of Company A, Forty-seventh 
Regiment, N. G. N. Y.; President Lev- 
erett F. Crumb, Grand Marshal Fred 
A. Smith, Congressman James W. 
Husted, Chairman Chester De Witt 
Pugsley, ex-President Thomas Nelson, 
Jr., ex-Assemblyman Isaac H. Smith, 
Harry W. Corliss, ex-Trustee Cassius 
M. Gardner and Park Commissioner 
Geo. E. Briggs. 

AUTOMOBILE PABADE, JULY 3. 

Preceding the regular parade of Mon- 
day afternoon there was an automobile 
pageant similar to the one during the 
Hudson-Fulton celebration of 1909. 

By one o'clock gaily decked auto- 
mobiles which were to take part were 



en route to Orchard street. It was 
scheduled to start at 1.30 p. m. from 
Orchard street. This parade was un- 
der the auspices of the Automobile 
Club of Peekskill. 

David B. Seymour was the marshal 
of the auto parade, and his aides were 
M. R. Loftus and Benj. S. Hancock, 
D. H. Teague was the aide of the road- 
ster division, Charles J. Donohue of the 
touring cars, and H. D. Levino of the 
Commercial cars. Considerable man- 
euvering was necessary to get all the 
cars in position on Orchard street, and 
it was 1.45 when the bugle was sounded 
by the official bugler starting the line. 
Just previous to this A. S. Renza's 
men set off a number of bombs from 
the old fort on Nelson Hill which made 
the welkin ring with their reports. 

The line moved as follows: Grand 
Marshal Seymour, Aides Loftus and 
Hancock each in a runabout, Geo. E. 
McCoy, president of the Auto Club, 
with Frank M. Brucus, of the New York 
State Automobile Association; H. Field 
Home and W. R. Stoner, vice-presi- 
dents; Wright Horton, treasurer. Then 
came the armored motor battery from 

j the State Camp, Captain Montgomery, 
the motorcycle detachment in the lead, 

I followed by two of the armored cars. 

[ Then came Aide Daniel H. Teague 
and Dr. A. D. Dunbar and several run- 
abouts; Charles J. Donohue, aide of 
the touring car division; Raymond 
Moore, Charles Miller, George Foster, 
Lester Perry, Dr. A. E. Anderson, Mrs. 

I W. B. Roberts, Andrew B. Buchanan, 
Franklin Montross, Enos Lee, Byron 
Travis, Geo. Haight, Wm. F. Chambers, 
A. W. Stuke, P. Irving Fisher, Howard 
Gilberts, George W. MacCashin, John 
F. Conklin, Clarence W. Tompkins, 

\ George Clark, Mrs. Walker, Mrs. R. W. 
Shertzinger, William J. Wiberley, D. D. 
Donovan, George A. Timmons and sev- 
eral others; N. L. Ely, aide of suffrage 
division; runabout in suffrage colors; 
Equal Franchise Club of Tarrytown; 
Miss Natalie Mason, Frank N. McCoy, 
Capt. Henriques; automobile occupied 
by John Halsted, A. G. Odell, James 
W. McCoy, William E. Lane, Sr., sur- 
vivors of the old Jefferson Guards, 
and other out-of-town machines; H. 
D. Levino, aide of the commercial car 



IS16— PEEKSKILL CEXTEXXIAL CELEBRATIOX— 191G 19 



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Mrs. >yilsoii B. Itoberts' Rose Garden Auto ^Von First Prize 




John Paulding^'s Descendants' Auto, driven by Frank N. McCoy, Third Prize 



20 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION- 



division; William J. Donovan, Peeks- 
kill Lighting & Railroad Co., Edward 
Griffiths, James F. Martin, Finnigan 
Bros. 

The line of March was as follows: 
From Orchard street to Nelson avenue, 
to Main, to North Division, to South 
Division, to First, to Union, to Elm, to 
Ringgold, to Frost, to Dyckman, to 
Franklin, to Washington, to South, to 
South Division, to Park, to Broad, to 
Main, to Southard, to Park, to Grant, 
to Main street, passing in review at 
the Eagle Hotel, to Division street, t 
South, to Washington street, west sidi 
of which was reserved for the auto 
mobile parade, giving those taking par 
an opportunity to see the larger an> 
later parade. 

Mrs. W. B. Roberts' Overland ca; 
was covered with Rambler roses t< 
completely as to hide it entirely. J ! 
was so unique and beautiful that it 
won the first prize. Mrs. Roberts drove 
the car. With her were her daughter, 
little Miss Helen Davis Roberts, her 
sister, Miss Grace Davis, and Miss 
Helen Wessells. 

Charles J. Donohue on his car had 
a bell of roses which made it appear 
very attractive. 

John F. Donohue had his commer- 
cial completely hidden with ludicrous 
covering and a bunch of tin cans on 
either end kept hitting the pavement 
as the car moved and on the rear were 
the words, "Mexico the Next Stop." The 
driver and partner were made up to 
represent tramps. 

Captain Henriques' car was made up 
to represent a battleship, and it was 
realistic to a degree. 

P. Irving Fisher had a big sign over 
his car reading "Preparedness." It 
was decorated with flags. On the seat 
with Mr. Fisher was Miss Evelyn Ten- 
nant as Miss Liberty. In the rear were 
Althea Lamos and Elsie Tenant as 
nurses. Willis Van Wart was stand- 
ing on the rear seat dressed as "Uncle 
Sam." 

The suffrage cars were all decorated 
with the suffrage colors, and the occu- 
pants were also. 

Miss Natalie Mason's car was cov- 
ered with a blanket of green and yel- 
low roses. 



Many of the cars had more or less 
flag decorations and some red, white 
and blue streamers, while many had 
no decorations except small flags. 

Ben S. Hancock's runabout was 
beautifully trimmed, and a big star was 
the prominent feature, with his little 
girl dressed as an angel to keep up the 
simile. 




Karl M. Sherman 

The original Centennial man, who 
first proposed the celebration at a meet- 
ing of the Peekskill Board of Trade, 
January 12, 1915. 

Charles Weller's touring car was 
beautifully decorated with red, white 
and blue. It was entitled "America 
First." Mr. and Mrs. Weller occu- 
pied the front seat, and on the back 
seat were Charles Jr. (4i^ years old) 
dressed as "Uncle Sam"; Marguerite 
(aged 6) as "Miss Columbia," and Ro- 
salind (aged 2) as "Cupid." 

The cars were judged from the Eagle 
Hotel balcony by Col. William H. 
Chapin, of the State Camp, Jacob Blu- 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



mer, of Peekskill, and B. W. Bedell, 
of Lincolndale. 

They made this report: 

First — Automobile covered with 
green blanket and decorated with red 
roses — Mrs. W. B. Roberts. 

Second — Automobile covered with 
green blanket and decorated with yel- 
low flowers — Miss Natalie Mason. 

Third — Descendants of Paulding 
family — Frank N. McCoy. 

Honorable mention — Charles Weller 
and family in costume; Navy Car, Capt. 
Henriques. 



about town, all bound for the form- 
ing line. The various organizations 
taking part in the big parade were ar- 
riving during the arrangement of the 
autos for the automobile parade, and 
at 2.20 all were in their places on the 
streets crossing Highland avenue ex- 
cept the Franciscan Convent division. 
They were in some way delayed and 




THE PARADE, MONDAY, JULY 3. 

Without a question of a doubt the 
parade of Monday was the feature of 
the three days' celebration. It was the 
biggest, largest, longest and "bestest" 
parade that ever marched Peekskill 
streets. Unstinted credit is due to 
the grand marshal and chairman of 
the parade committee, Frederick Allen 
Smith, who conceived, planned and car- 
ried out the affair, ably assisted by 
his executive aide, Douglas Macduff. 

There was but one drawback, to wit, 
the half hour's rain that came just be- 
fore four o'clock. But the marchers, 
old and young, trod bravely on be- 
neath the downpour which soon ceased. 
The sun came out as bright and warm 
as it had been previous to the shower 
and the pageant passed in review at 
the Eagle Hotel balcony at the con- 
clusion of the long march beneath an 
almost cloudless sky. 

Soon after 12 o'clock Monday com- 
panies of marchers began to appear 




Fred A. Smith 

Grand Marshal of Parade and Chair- 
man of Parade Committee 

did not reach the starting point, but 
fell in their place at Nelson avenue. 
The Forty-seventh Regiment with 1,000 
men were on hand on Highland ave- 
nue, having marched from the State 
Camp. 

Promptly at 2.30 o'clock on a signal 
from the fire bell, "1-1-1," the chief's 
call, and one long blast of the fire 
whistle. Grand Marshal Fred A. Smith, 
gave the order to march. His aides 
were Douglass Macduff, Dr. Geo. C. 
Colyer, Harrison Barnes, Fred R. Field, 
C. W. Horton, Jr., John E. Holden, 
J. R. Lancaster, Wm. H. H. MacKel- 
lar, Amos Barger, Eben Utter and Earl 
Barger. 

Following him were the village offi- 
cials and guests in autos, as follows: 

Car No. 1 — Village President Lever- 



22 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



ett F. Crumb, County Judge Frank L. 
Young, Lieutenant Commander G. F. 
Neal, representing tlie Navy; State 
Senator George A. Slater, of Port Clies- 
ter; Corporation Counsel Robert F. 
Barrett at the wheel. 

Car No. 2— Trustees Wm. H. Gish 
and Angelo Bleakley and Town Clerk 
S. Allen Mead; William H. Ash at the 
wheel. 

Car No. 3— Chester De Witt Pugsley, 
Trustee Robert Johns, ex-Village Pres- 
ident Isaac H. Smith, Village Clerk Al- 
bert E. Cruger, Rear Admiral French 
E. Chadwick; Milton Cliston Smith at 
the wheel. 

Car No. 4 — Ensigns Maxwell Cole 



this point. William H. Briggs, the cel- 
ebrated "Uncle Sam" from Bingham- 
ton, was the man who took the part. 

Melvin R. Horton, as marshal of the 
first division, followed. Then came the 
Sixth Heavy Artillery Band, Amos Gal- 
lager, leader, with 30 pieces. They 
were followed by the Forty-seventh 
Regiment Drum Corps. Then came the 
Marines from lona Island under First 
Sergeant John F. Duffy, followed by the 
sailors from the Destroyer Cummings 
in the harbor under Chief Gunners 
Mate Froberg. The Eighth Division, 
First Naval Militia, followed. 

The Forty-seventh Regiment, N. G., 
marching company front, were next. 




St. Joseph's Home Float, "Art awd Religion," Won First Prize 



and H. B. Briggs, U. S. N., and Park 
Commissioners Henry L. Armstrong 
(president), Geo. E. Briggs (secretary), 
Nathan Posey (treasurer) and James 
W. Husted (congressman) ; Commis- 
sioner Phin at the wheel. 

Car No. 5 — Trustees Clarence J. Lent, 
Robert Valentine and Charles W. Old- 
field, Water Commissioners Oscar V. 
Barger and William B. Baxter; Trustee 
Oldfield at the wheel. 

Car No. 6— Health Officer E. de M. 
Lyon, M.D., Public Health Nurse Eliz- 
abeth F. Piatt, Village Treasurer Will- 
iam J. Charlton, Assessor James A. 
Barker; Mr. Barker at the wheel. 

"Uncle Sam," on a white horse, was 
one of the attractions of the line at 



I There were one thousand men in the 
! line, exclusive of officers, and were 
commanded by Col. Ernest Jennicky. 
The soldier boys were in service uni- 
form and carried their rifles. The of- 
ficers wore their pistols only. 
I The Spanish War Veterans were next 
j in line and in the rear was a surrey 
and two horses driven by Isaiah Hughes 
in Continental uniform and on the rear 
seat sat William Langstine, an excel- 
lent representation of Abraham Lin- 
coln. Following was a carriage, in 
which rode Homer Anderson and John 
Smith, Jr., representing the Lincoln 
Society. Aides Lanning G. Roake, Gor- 
don P. Ewing and Albert B. Seymour 
in an auto followed. 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CEXTEXXIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



23 



Peekskill's float, "Progress," drawn 
by six horses, followed. The length of 
the float was 16 feet and the width 7 
feet. The front emblem, "Music," rep- 
resented harmony. On the right side 
was a 16-ft. painting of Peekskill Har- 
bor in 1816, taken from a painting by 
an artist named Dane, who lived in 
Peekskill at that time. On the left side 
a 16-ft. painting of State Camp from a 
photograph by the late H. H. Pierce. 
On the back, Peekskill's official seal, 
showing plow and stove, the first in- 
dustries of the town. The float proper 
was a reproduction of the old Wire 
Mill wheel now standing in Annsville, 
10 feet high, surrounded by trees and 



his assistants were Thomas Dasey and 
James J. Finnigan. 

The patriotic Order, Sons of Amer- 
ica, float followed. It was entitled, 
"The Spirit of 76." On a throne at the 
rear of the float sat George Blake as 
"Uncle Sam"; Miss Lillian Odell as 
"Miss Columbia"; two minute men, O. 
Muller and R. Miller, with muskets, 
stood guard. Then came thirteen 
young ladies in white representing 
the Thirteen Colonial States: Connecti- 
cut, Miss Cooley; Pennsylvania, Miss 
Barger; Georgia, Miss Davis; Dela- 
ware, Miss Cummins; Maryland, Miss 
Townsend; Rhode Island, Miss Van 
Scoy; New York, Miss Schofield; New 




Junior Sons and Daug-hters of the Kevolution Float Won Second Prize 



natural foliage. Four American flags 
graced the middle center back, front ] 
and sides, while in each of the four 
corners were urns of special design 
containing scarlet geraniums. Sus- 
pended from the tips of the flag staffs 
hung wreaths of laurel indicating vic- 
tory, festoons of flags and drapings of 
laurel roping completed the decora- , 
tions. A hand-made grill railing of 
wood painted white enclosed the scenic 
portion of the float. The float was de- 
signed and built by Charles F. Whitson. ! 

Following this was a coach drawn by | 
two horses representing Lincoln's time. 
Strapped on the rear was a small leather \ 
trunk. This was the Lincoln Society's I 
contribution to the parade. ! 

The second division marshal was | 
Chief Engineer Clifton E. Forbush, and 1 



Hampshire, Miss Bartley; Virginia, 
Miss Muller; Massachusetts, Miss 
Hughson; North Carolina, Miss Queen; 
South Carolina, Miss Hiland; New Jer- 
sey, Miss Collins. W. Cooley, in a 
Zouave uniform, was colorbearer. Geo. 
Davis was grandfather, Henry Ferris 
as son and Joseph Davis as grandson 
with flfe and drum. The horses were 
led by two members of the order. The 
trimming was in white and on either 
side hung a sheet on which the name 
of the order appeared. 

The fire chief's auto followed, and 
Anscheutz's Band, of Beacon, led the 
firemen. 

First came Columbian Engine Com- 
pany in their new uniforms, 45 men 
and officers, and the auto engine. 

The Stony Point Drum Corps led 



24 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



Columbian Hose Company, who also 
appeared in new uniforms, and 45 men 
with the department flags and auto 
engine. 

The Twentj^-first Regiment Band of 
Poughkeepsie led Cortlandt Hook & 
Ladder Company with 47 men and offi- 
cers and the handsome auto truck. 

The Wappingers Falls Drum Corps 
led Washington Engine Company, who 
turned out 44 men and officers and 
their auto engine. 

The Y. M. C. A. Drum Corps headed 
Centennial Hose Company with 38 offi- 
cers and men and their horse drawn 
chemical engine. 

Four Exempts led the old hand en- 



Messrs. Rothera and Southard; Indian, 
Mr. Trousdell; cowboys, Sid Dicker- 
man and Warrie Rothera, Jr. 

Then followed the Royal Arcanum 
float, a car trimmed with blue, white 
and purple. Sitting on the float were 
Miss Dorothy Hagan dressed in pur- 
ple, representing "Charity"; Miss 
Edna Ogden, dressed in blue, repre- 
senting "Mercy"; Miss Dorothy D. Fer- 
guson, dressed in white, representing 
"Virtue." The letters "V. M. C." on a 
banner stood for the motto of the or- 
der. Four little girls in white also 
were seated on the float. They were 
:\Iargaret Palmer, Dorothy Ahrens, 
Helen Albert and Hazel Baker. 




Susan B. Anthony, Pioneer Suffragist Float, Won Tliird Prize 



gine, which was drawn by horses. John 
D. Foster wore a fire hat which was 
worn by James Brown, the first fire 
warden of Peekskill, and carried his 
baton. 

Charles E. Tweedy, driving his auto, 
had for his passengers four nurses 
from the hospital. 

The third division came next, with 
George P. Wygant as marshal; Lee 
Earl and Charles Lent, Jr., as aides. 
Eighteen mounted men and Miss Mary 
McCord, Miss Marguerite Tompkins, 
Miss Helen Foster, Miss Catherine 
Barnes, also mounted. 

Then came the Nagawicka Riding 
Club, represented by Mesdames Baker, 
Rothera, Southard and Southard, and 



They were followed by the St. 
Joseph's Home contingent with Rev. 
John Cavanagh mounted. Rev. Remy 
Laforte and Rev. John McCollough 
rode in a carriage. 

Then came the St. Joseph's Home 
floats. 

The first fioat was entitled "The Dig- 
nity of Labor." The bridge of the float 
represented the solidity of labor. The 
highest point of the bridge was crowned 
with a stove and plough — the stove and 
plough being the first two products of 
the village foundry, and they also rep- 
resent our village seal. On the front 
terraces from the platform upward was 
a mason, shoemaker, plumber and 
steamfitter, blacksmith; on the rear 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



25 



terraces a motorman, carpenter, type- 
writer, painter, tinsmith and baker. 
Under the bridge a farmer was seen 
on his field surrounded by his happy 
family. As space will not permit rep- 
resenting all the honored trades a stal- 
wart man at the right of rear made 
up for the deficit. 

At the right corner front Uncle Sam 
stood guiding the great mass of toil- 
ers who have helped by their untiring 
and unselfish energy to build up our 
prosperous Village, our Empire State 
and our Country which we all look up 
to with pride. 

General Israel Putnam, who during 
the Revolutionary period had his head- 



groups representing Music, Drawing 
and Dramatic Art, the whole being 
crowned by Faith, Hope and Charity. 

The St. Joseph's Band of 30 boys, 
with M. Thornell, leader, was followed 
by the cadets of the home 100 strong. 
They were followed by the sailor boys 
of the home. They carried long strips 
of bunting and at intervals along the 
march the bunting was raised above 
, their heads and it formed an immense 
American fiag. 

The fourth Division was in charge of 
I. Olstein as marshal, with Louis Kel- 
ler, Edward Burger, Isadore Wolff, 
Jacob Fish, D. Levinson and S. Levy as 
aides. 




'Progress'' — Tlio Peekskiil Float Funiislied by the Cominittee 



quarters at Peekskiil was represented 
on the left front. 

The second float represented Art and 
Religion. It was an enormous artist's 
palette poised ready for an invisible 
master. The figures were an idealiza- 
tion of the colors as they appear from 
the artist's tubes preparatory to blend- 
ing for his work. They were ready to 
do his bidding and perform the task 
he had planned. Their approach is 
announced by two heralds. In the 
foreground stood Wisdom in cap and 
gown, with Peace on her right and 
Prosperity on her left. Next in order 
came Preparedness attended by two 
Red Cross nurses. Then followed 



I Then came into view the blue and 

I gold of the Daughters of the Revolu- 
tion. It covered the float of the Junior 
Sons and Daughters. A big auto truck 
had been covered with a canopy of blue 
and gold with tassels and on the sides 
were banners giving the name. The 

! driver was in Continental uniform. 

I The title was "Colonial Days." Mrs. 
E. W. Colloque was "Priscilla"; three 
little boys, Robert Snowden, Richard 
Home, Will Lawson, also Nell Lawson, 

I were dressed as Indian boys; four 
girls, Susan Seymour, Ruth Beale, El- 
sie Jaycox, Winifred Snowden, were 
also Indians. Four little girls, Sarah 
Oakley, Muriel Clinton, Lucy Clinton, 



26 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CEXTExNNIAL CELEBRATION— 191« 



Sarah Taylor, were dressed as "Pris- 
cillas," and three boys, Lawrence 
Wood, George Doty, Frederick Snow- 
den, also Blanche Naylor, as the Pil- 
grim fathers. An old time spinning 
wheel represented the occupation of 
the females. 

Out of seven pictures of the parade 
furnished it the photo of this float was 
chosen by the New York Herald to 
head its story of Peekskill's Centennial 
on Tuesday. 

Behind the float, on a pony, rode 
little Josephine Halsey as an Indian 
boy. 

The Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asy- 
lum Band headed the United Hebrews 



it were the descendants of John Paul- 
ding, of Revolutionary fame; Mrs. Mar- 
tha McCoy and Miss Harriet B. Inger- 
soll, grandchildren; Frank N. McCoy, 
Sr., Miss Florence I. Todd, great-grand- 
children; George I. McCoy, Eleanor R. 
McCoy, great-great-grandchildren. 

The fifth division marshal was Rev. 
Richard H. Tobin, who rode in a car- 
riage with Father Melia and Father 
Walsh, of Mohegan. 

Rev. D. M. Coda was chief of staff, 
with James V. Clune, Charles Weysser, 
Lester Baxter, James F. Martin, Jr., 
Edward Finnigan, Joseph Doyle and P. 
Clarkin as aides. 

The float, "Progress of Peekskill's 



r 



^# 




The Cluircli of tlie Assumption and the GuJirdian Float 



of Peekskill, who all wore white hats. 
They carried an American flag, 30x70 
feet, on their shoulders, and when it 
was wet by the shower near the end of 
the march it became a heavy load. It 
was probably the largest flag ever seen 
in Peekskill. 

Autos and wagons with Hebrew 
women followed the men. Then came 
girls with red, white and blue para- 
sols and boys with Uncle Sam hats. 

Then came an automobile completely 
covered with American flags and a big 
eagle perched upon the radiator. In 



Fashions," by the Daughters of Isa- 
bella, came next. This was a big car, 
on which were young ladies dressed 
in the fashion of various times in the 
history of the village. First came the 
Indian maiden, Olive Burke; then the 
Dutch maid, Mrs. Dehn, and the Dutch 
jboy, William Marshall; then the Qua- 
keress, Emily Mahon. The fashion of 
1776 was represented by Bessie Kelly, 
of 1816 by Gertrude Riley, of 1830 by 
[ Helena Lillis, of 1860 by Annie Clarkin, 
1 1871 by Anna Shea and granddaughter, 
Loretta Anderson, 1885 by Annie Mc- 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



27 



Cormick, 1895 by Katherine Finnigan, 
1916 by Mary Ryan, and the girls of 
to-day, the nurse, Katherine Dolan; 
suffragette, Catherine Flanagan; tennis 
girl, Mrs. Dolan; Miss Columbia, Mary 
Martin. 

The Catholic Protectory Band headed 
the A. 0. H., the Knights of Colum- 
bus and the Holy Name Society. Then 
came the Guardian float. It was the 
Guardian Building and the Church of 
the Assumption in miniature on a big 
auto truck. The likeness was very 
real, and it created much favorable 
comment along the line. The purpose 
of the float apparently was to show 
that the church, though small, was 
pulling the big, cumbersome Guardian. 
The Guardian Drum Corps headed the 
Guardian Cadets. 

Then came a number of children 
from the Assumption School carrying 
flags. 

Then followed Aides Louis Laudati 
and Carlo Monleoni and Moroni's Band 
of New York. They led the Italian- 
American Society with a hundred men 
in line, all wearing white hats. 

The Oakside School float completed 
the fifth division. It represented the 
activities of Oakside. A big auto truck 
had been covered with blue and yel- 
low bunting and oak leaves, and on 
each side two boys were swinging from 
the float. At each corner a boy held a 
streamer stretching across the full 
width of the street. On it boys and 
girls represented football, basketball, 
baseball, kindergarten, geography and 
Palmer writing. 

David Hartstein was marshal of the 
sixth division. His aides were J. Verag, 
M. Snyder, T. Augusky, F. Radock, A. 
Strasser. 

Southard & Robertson Company's 
float was next. It was the old foundry 
bell, rescued from the recent fire, 
placed on a platform atop of the foun- 
dry truck, tastefully covered with 
bunting, with George W. Robertson rid- 
ing beside the driver. 

Collins' Band, of Newburgh, headed 
the United Hungarians, Slavs, Poles 
and Greek Catholics. 

Then came the Woman's Suffrage 
contingent, on foot and in autos. Mrs. 
Wm. H. H. MacKellar carried the Suf- 



frage Party banner, assisted by Miss 
Jane MacKellar and Miss Estelle 
Tompkins. 

The suffragist float was drawn by 
two white horses. It was tastefully 
decorated with suffrage colors, yellow 
and white. On it were seated thirteen 
fairies representing the thirteen States 
where women can vote. They were 
Agnes Tompkins, Catherine Wright, 
Lillian Reeves, the Misses Cowles, 
Elizabeth Henriques, Miss Miller, 
Emily Turner, Alice Kelly, Marion 
Hudson, Erma Hudson, Claire Rear- 
don and Miss Alsop. Mrs. Elizabeth 
Smith was dressed to represent Mrs. 
Susan B. Anthony, the first suffragist. 
On the driver's seat were Misses Dor- 
othy Ellis and Mina Snowden. The 
color bearer was Beatrice Crawford. 
Others were Ruth Ulm and Winifred 
Acker. 

The decorations were all furnished 
by Mrs. Frank Vanderlip, and the work 
was done under the direction of Mrs. 
E. E. Fink. 

The seventh division was led by J. 
Coleridge Darrow as marshal, with 
Joseph Kuhn, Martin Nilsson and R. P. 
Stone as aides. 

Peabody's Band, of Poughkeepsie, led 
the Fleischmann Company's employ- 
ees, 225 strong. The men wore a kahki 
uniform with campaign hats, and each 
had a yellow sash with the word 
"Fleischmann" on it. There were four 
banners in line reading, "Peekskill, the 
Home of the Largest Yeast Factory," 
"Preparedness for Baking: Fleisch- 
mann's Yeast," "Fleischmann's Yeast 
Made in Peekskill," "Eat Bread Made 
in Peekskill." 

A gaily painted gypsy wagon with 
a small pony tied behind caused much 
comment. 

The P. O. S. of A. Drum Corps of 
Yonkers headed the Standard Oil Cloth 
Company employees and members of 
the Buchanan Sick Benefit Association 
women. 

Next in line was John Hutchinson, 
mounted, leading the Jenkins Orphan 
Brass Band (colored boys) from 
Charleston, N. C, and the M^n's Social 
Union of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, 
35 men and a number of Boy Scouts 
in charge of Scoutmaster L. W. 



28 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



Hughes. William H. Singleton was in 
charge of the men. 

Three teams of horses drew a float 
which represented a field hospital un- 
der a tent, in memory of the soldiers 
of the Tenth U. S. Cavalry who fell in 
Mexico. The nurses were Sereta Wor- 
tham. Alberta Brown, Vera Lipscomb; 
doctor, Wm. Graves; guards, George 
Hutchinson, Stanley Peterson, Warren 
Boatwright and Douglas Peterson, Jr. 

One of the most interesting of all 
the divisions in the line was that of 
the Peekskill Highway Department, 
which brought up the rear. 

Two men on horseback led the line, 
followed by Commissioner Thompson, 
with Mrs. Thompson, in his auto. It 
had been beautifully and tastefully 
trimmed, and "Uncle Sam" and "Miss 
Columbia," in the persons of Mr. 
Thompson's two children, occupied the 
rear. A seal bearing the words, "E 
Pluribus Unum" was hung from either 
side of the machine. 

Next came Foreman Gilleo and his 
brigade of street sweepers in their 
white uniforms and carrying brushes. 
The auto sweeper, gaily decked, came 
next, followed by a team and wagon, 
neatly trimmed, its sides bearing the 
inscription, "We can't keep your streets 
clean if you won't help." The village 
carts, with their wheels wound with 
red, white and blue, and the body 
also followed. The first one bore the 
sign, "We do our best. Do you do 
yours?" Another one bore the words, 
"Put your paper and fruit skins in the 
red cans," and "Our Work is for your 
good health." 

Then came the tree sprayer with its 
sides reading, "Keep the grass green 
from sidewalk to curb. Make your 
town beautiful." The three sprinkling 
carts with their trimmings of red 
white and blue completed the great 
centennial parade lineup. 

The line of march was as follows: 
South on Highland avenue, to Orchard, 
to Nelson, to Main, to Division, to First, 
to Union, to Elm, to Ringgold, to Frost, 
to Dyckman, to Franklin, to Washing- 
ton, to South, to Division, to Park, to 
Broad, to Main, to Grant avenue, coun- 
termarching, pass in review in front 
of the Eagle Hotel, to Division street. 



After passing in review of the vil- 
lage officials and guests on the Eagle 
Hotel balcony and the grand marshal 
and his aides, who were drawn up in 
line west of the hotel, the parade was 
dismissed. 

The judges of the floats were: B. W. 
Bedell, Lincolndale; Col. W. H. Chapin, 
New York National Guard; Jacob Blu- 
mer, Peekskill. 

They reported: First prize, St. Jo- 
seph's Home float, "Religion and Art"; 
second prize. Junior Sons and Daugh- 
ters of Revolution; third prize, Susan 
B. Anthony suffrage float; honorable 
mention. Patriotic Order Sons of Amer- 
ica; "Fashions," Daughters of Isabella; 
St. Joseph's Home Industrial. 

The prizes were a gold medal for 
the winner, a silver medal for second 
and a bronze medal for third. The 
medals were a counterpart of the offi- 
cial badge as to style. On the bar 
above the ribbon was engraved, "First 
Prize," "Second Prize," "Third Prize," 
as the case might be. On the reverse 
of the medallion were the words, "Best 
Decorated Auto," "Best Decorated 
Float," "Best Decorated Truck." As 
there were no trucks in the contest, 
no medals were awarded in that class. 




Conielhts A. I'lig-siey 

Treasurer of Committee 



1S16— PEEK3KILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



29 




Albert E, Cruger 

Secretary of Committee 



PARADE PARAGRAPHS 

John Smith, Jr., and Homer Ander- 
son, who rode in a carriage in the 
parade, represented the Lincoln Soci- 
ety, one of the strong and popular or- 
ganizations brought forth in Peekskill 
during the century. 

The Yorktown Riding Club was rep- 
resented by Lucille Barnes, Edwin P. 
Strang, William A. Barnes and Helen 
Irish. The two former were aides to 
Dr. George P. Wygant. They were in 
the fourth division. 

One of the features of the parade 
was the company of little Hebrew girls. 
Every one of them went over the en- 
tire line of march, through rain and 
sunshine. Two of them were under 
five years of age, and they never fal- 
tered. 

The flag carried by the Hebrew or- 
ganizations was 30x70 feet. It was the 
largest flag ever seen in Peekskill. It 
was made to order. It was so wide 
that several feet had to be hemmed 
in so it could pass through narrow 
streets. 

The auto parade started at 1.45 p. m. 



There were nine motorcycles of the 
First Armored Battery Battalion, two 
armored cars and sixty-two other auto- 
mobiles. There were, however, four 
times as many automobiles watching 
along the line of the parade as there 
were cars in the procession. 

One of the most interesting floats in 
the parade was the Southard-Robert- 
son foundry bell, a relic from the re- 
cent fire, mounted on a decorated 
foundry truck drawn by the foundry 
horses. George W. Robertson showed 
the proper spirit and grit. He also had 
what was left of the foundry buildings 
decorated. A small flag was stuck out 
of every one of the many windows. 

The parade occupied fifty-five min- 
utes in passing the Eagle Hotel. It 
was 4.20 p. m. when Grand Marshal 
Smith was abreast the reviewing stand. 
It was 4.38 when the last of the sec- 
ond division of firemen marched by. 
Then there was quite a long interval 
before the third division came in sight. 
In the usual close order it would prob- 
ably have taken three-quarters of an 
hour to pass a given point, and that 
means a big parade for a place like 
Peekskill. 

The Oakside School float characters 
were: Kindergarten — Bella Keller and 
Geo. Denike; Primary — Marion Quitt- 
I meyer, Madeline Boylan, Helen Man- 
i deville, Helen Maxwell; Grammar — 
Mildred Golden, Velma Pugsley; High 
School — Oakside quartet, William Hunt, 
Orrin Conklin, Milton Lockwood, Otto 
Graninger, Jr. The Oakside float was 
one of the prettiest in the line. It was 
! much commented upon. Many thought 
it should have won a prize. The young- 
sters swinging on the side were "all 
to the good." 

1 One idea of the length of Peekskill's 
i biggest parade is obtained by the 
! knowledge that when Grand Marshal 
Smith and his staff coming up South 
street reached the corner of South and 
Division street the last division of the 
parade was still passing through Divi- 
sion street toward First street, its end 
at the Westchester County National 
J Bank. When the head of the parade 
I was allowed to pass into Division 
I street, the procession stretched through 



•30 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



Division from South to First, to Union 
avenue, to Elm street, to Ringgold, to 
Frost, to Dyckman, to Franklin, to 
Washington, to South and up to Divi- 
sion. And the organizations and bands 
had been pretty well crowded together 
by that time, too, as the various divi- 
sions had caught up while the head of 
the procession halted. 

As it has been said, there was glory 
enough in the Centennial Celebration 
for everybody, committeemen, chair- 
men and everybody. But still we sub- 
mit that Fred A. Smith, chairman of 
the parade committee and the grand 
Tnarshal of the parade, is entitled to 
"wonderful credit for the work he did 
and the largest and best parade ever 
seen in Peekskill. It will be a long 
time before Peekskill will see its equal. 
Many other details he handled with 
consummate skill. Chester De Witt 
Pugsley, the chairman of the general 
committee, also did yeoman work. He 
secured the three speakers, Bryan, 
Padgett and Chadwick, without any 
cost to the committee except entertain- 
ment and transportation for Congress- 
man Padgett. It is doubtful if any one 
else than Mr. Pugsley could have se- 
cured Mr. Bryan's presence here. 

CARMTAL A>D CONCERT, JULY 3 

The carnival and concert on Monday 
evening were, like all other features of 
the centennial, a success to a dot. 

At a meeting of the Centennial Car- 
nival Committee on Tuesday evening, 
June 27, William J. Tice was declared 
elected King of the Carnival and Miss 
Rose Burger Queen. Mr. Tice had 
2,383 votes and Miss Burger had 2,116. 
About 12,000 votes were cast in all and 
twelve candidates were voted for. Miss 
Katherine Linknor received 985 votes, 
and Hazel La Fountain 570. 

The exercises of this portion of the 
program, Monday night, really began 
at the Municipal Building, when in the 
presence of members of the Carnival 
and General Centennial Committee and 
the village officials. Village President 
Crumb welcomed the King and Queen, 
William Tice and Rose Burger, and the 
latter's two attendants or maids of 
honor, Miss Hazel La Fountain and 
Miss Katherine Linknor. The King 



wore a crown on his head, and was at- 
tired in a gorgeous robe of red, 
trimmed with white fur. 

Upon the brow of the Queen also 
rested a crown. She and her maids 
were dressed in white. They carried 
large bouquets of flowers, but Presi- 
dent Crumb, after a few felicitous re- 
marks, presented to the three ladies 
each a very handsome basket of flow- 
ers on behalf of the committee. These 
brief exercises took place about eight 
o'clock. 

Shortly afterward a procession was 
formed, headed by the Sixth Heavy Ar- 
tillery Band. Then came the village 




^Villiam J. Tice 

King of the Carnival 

officials, "Uncle Sam," committeemen 
numbering over a score. Next were 
two automobiles. In the first was 
President Crumb, His Royal Highness 
the King and Her Majesty the Queen. 
In the second car were the two maids 
of honor, Miss Linknor and Miss La 
Fountain, with Chester De Witt Pugs- 
ley and William H. H. MacKellar as 
escorts. A company of Boy Scouts 
brought up the rear. 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



31 



In this formation the night pageant 
marched to the corner of Park and 
Division streets. I 

Each man in line carried a burning 
stick of red fire. The procession passed 
all the way between solid walls of 
people on the walks and lines of auto- j 
mobiles at the curb. At the aforemen- 




Miss Rose Burger 

Queen of the Carnival 

tioned corner the King and Queen and 
their suite alighted. Then the march 
was continued, Mr. Crumb escorting 
the Queen, Mr. Pugsley, Miss Link- 
nor and Mr. MacKellar and Miss La 
Fountain. 

Thus they continued to the band 
stand east of the Colonial Theatre. 
Ascending thereon, President Crumb 
introduced the King and Queen in a 
delightful little talk and placed the 
carnival in their hands and the vast 
audience in their charge. 

The Sixth Heavy Artillery Band fur- 
nished the dance music, alternating 
with the selections played by Alberto 
Moroni's Band, which gave a concert in 
the band stand erected about the clus- 
ter light pole in the plaza. From 7 
until 7.45 when the Italian band ar- 



rived a concert was given by the Brook- 
lyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum Band, 
Joseph J. Dickman, leader. They were 
relieved at 7.45 by Moroni's Band, 
which previously had marched up Divi- 
sion street to Paulding street playing. 

The concert was over at 10 p. m. 
and the dancing at 11 p. m. Even con- 
siderably before that time the people 
had begun to wend their way home- 
ward, tired after the busy day. 

Park street had been roped off at the 
Highland Democrat Building line oi» 
the west and at a point nearly to James 
street on the east. This made a vast 
enclosure of street. The asphalt block 
pavement had been swept and scoured 
immediately after the parade had 
passed it in the afternoon. "When 
it had been well covered with corn 
meal it made an unusually good dance 
floor. The festoons of lights across 
the street, from Division street east, 
gave an ample illumination. 

MEETIJfG IX DEPEW PARK, JILT 4. 

The Fourth of July exercises in De- 
pew Park were largely attended and 
extremely enjoyable. The band stand 
and the green amphitheatre beyond 
with the background of the fountain 
and flowers, made a picturesque set- 
ting. 

As early as 10.30 a. m. the people be- 
gan to gather in the park. When the 
exercises were begun shortly after 11 
a. m. nearly two thousand people were 
sitting, standing or in automobiles 
around the gailey decorated grand 
stand. At the east four tiers of seats 
with a capacity for fifty people had 
been erected for the high school chorus 
but as they failed to materialize the 
seats were soon occupied by the gen- 
eral public. 

The Sixth Heavy Artillery Band were 
seated near the chorus stand. 

On the band stand were the speak- 
ers, guests, orchestra, park commis- 
sioners, clergy and others, about thirty 
people in all. 

The orchestra was made up of Miss 
Geraldine Valentine, leader, violin; 
Myrtle Tuttle, cello; Helen Tuttle, first 
violin; Helen Conklin, first violin; 
Mary McCord, second violin; David 
Conklin, flute. 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



First on the program was a selec- 
tion, "American Airs," by the Sixth 
Heavy Artillery Band. 

Rev. William Fisher Lewis, of St. 
Peter's Protestant Episcopal Church, 
offered the invocation. Two verses of 
"America" were sung by the audience 
led by the orchestra and directed by 
Dr. A. D. Dunbar. 

Leverett F. Crumb, president of the 
village, then delivered the opening and 
welcoming address. 

William J. Charlton read the histor- 
ical address. He began talking at 11.38 
and occupied a little over ten minutes. 

The band played a selection, "Auf 
Weidersehn." 

The next speaker was Hon. Lemuel 
P. Padgett, chairman of the Committee ] 
on Naval Affairs of the House of Rep- j 
resentatives. Congressman Padgett is 
from Tennessee. He is a delightful 
speaker and interested the great crowd 
of people for a half hour, holding their 
close attention with what was one of 
the best patriotic addresses ever given 
in Peekskill. He was frequently ap- 
plauded. 

Admiral French E. Chadwick was 
the next speaker. He only said a few 
words explaining that a bronchial trou- 
ble which had come on within a few 
days had completely spoiled his voice. 
Therefore he had asked Lieutenant 
Commander G. F. Neal to read the pa- 
per which he had prepared. This the 
naval officer did in excellent style. He 
received the closest attention. 

During this part of the program 
William J. Bryan arrived in the park 
and was escorted to the platform. His 
appearance was the signal for great 
applause. 

Next on the program was the sing- 
ing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by 
Madame Charlotte Lund. She was in 
good voice and was heard by all of 
the great assemblage. Every one stood 
while she sang. 

Mr. Crumb then presented William 
Jennings Bryan. The great Commoner 
received a magnificent ovation. He 
spoke for fifty-four minutes. It was 
Interesting, patriotic and eloquent at 
all times, with a vein of humor run- 
ning here and there. His favorite 
theme of peace permeated the dis- 



course. 

Mr. Bryan in his speech said he had 
never been more impressed than now 
with the unity he had seen throughout 
this country. He saw it as far back 
as the Spanish War, when he served 




WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN. 

as Colonel of a regiment from his State. 
He recalled that the last war of the 
United States followed soon after the 
Presidential campaign of 1896, which 
he characteriezd as the bitterest in the 
past fifty years. It happened that 
Mr. Bryan in that crisis desired to 
offer his, services to the country, and 
consequently when he asked permis- 
sion to raise a regiment of volunteers 
his request went to his victorious po- 
litical opponent. 

In his regiment, he said, were men 
of many creeds and political convic- 
tions. The majority of its officers had 
voted against him, and the majority of 
the enlisted men had voted for him, 
he said. The division to which his 
organization was assigned was com- 
manded by a former Republican Gov- 



1816— PEEKSKILL CEXTEXXIAL. CELEBRATION— 1916 



33 



ernor and a Union soldier. His brigade 
was commanded by a Virginia Demo- 
crat and a Confederate veteran. North- 
ern and Southern regiments when they 
came together vied with each other in 
paying compliments. A Mississippi 
regiment band played "Yankee Doodle," 
to which a Nebraskan responded with 
"Dixie," and then both bauds joined in 
"My Country 'Tis of Thee." 

"I feel that it is like this to-day," 
said Mr. Bryan. "We have our differ- 
ences in politics, we are attached to 
our parties and churches, and we re- 



pressed in national terms." Mr. Bryan 
did not see how the position of this 
country could be misconstrued whea 
it offered its friendly services to the 
warring countries of Europe. 

"We are kin to all of them," said he, 
"and we cannot be enemies to any of 
them," whereupon he was greeted with, 
enthusiastic applause. 

Taking hold of an illustration he 
made use of when he retired as Sec- 
retary of State, Mr. Bryan said one 
need not underestimate the value of a 
soldier at the same time he worked for 




William J. Bryan, Speaking in Band Stand, Depew Park, July 4 

joice that we live in a land where a : the prevention of war any more than 
man has the right to vote and worship he need undervalue the ability of a 



as he pleases. 

"I do not know just what blood pre- 
dominates in me. As near as I know 
I am badly mixed, just as I am in re- 
ligion. And if I take my children and 



fireman while he built a structure of 
concrete. 

"There is no more reason why a good 
soldier should be bloodthirsty than for 
a good fireman to be firethirsty," said 



my children's children, I am in a worse : Mr. Bryan, who caused amusement 
fix. But, my friends, I believe when i when he carried the illustration still 
the test comes, and the men are drawn further, and said a good undertaker 
up in line, they will be ready to die I did not necessarily await with impa- 



for their country just as they ought to 
be ready to live for it." 

Mr. Bryan was cheered when he as- 
serted that the greatest service was 
not necessarily that which was ren- 
dered on the battlefield. His defini- 
tion of patriotism was, "service ex- 



tience for deaths to occur. 

"I have passed through a number of 
States in the last few days," said Mr. 
Bryan, "and have seen the National 
Guard organizations departing for the 
border, all ready to give everything in 
the service of country, and none know- 



Zi 



1816— PBEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



ing where that service would lead him 
or whether he ever would return. I 
saw parents and loved ones weeping 
and sobbing, knowing not when the 
boys would return. I do not consider 
it unpatriotic to have said to those left 
behind: 'These boys are doing their 
duty, but I'll join you in praying they 
may not be killed or be called on to 
kill'." 

It was one of Mr. Bryan's best ef- 
forts, punctuated throughout by tre- 
mendous applause. 

In the course of his talk a long 
string became unraveled from a flag 
draped above the speakers' stand, and 
the end of it blown by the wind con- 
tinually fell upon the bald head of the 
speaker. Apparently he did not notice 
it, but the crowd tittered as it waited 
in vain for him to brush away an im- 
aginary fly. Finally President Crumb 
saved the situation by using a crooked 
cane and breaking the thread. 

Following Mr. Bryan, the band 
played "America," while the crowd 
dispersed. 

The arrangements in the park made 
by the park commissioners were per- 
fect. The band stand was beautifully 
decorated. Extra police and the Boy 
Scouts in charge of Rev. Mr. Illsley 
were present, though their services 
were not needed. 

At one point in the program the mov- 
ing picture men were given an inning 
and took reals of the audience and then 
the people in the band stand. 

The gathering voted its thanks to 
Mr. Bryan and the other speakers, on 
motion of Chairman Crumb. 

ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT CRUMB. 

Ladies and Gentlemen: 

It becomes my duty as President of 
the Village of Peekskill, to open this 
feature of the celebration of the One 
Hundredth Anniversary of the Incor- 
poration of the Village. 

In the history of the world, one 
hundred years is a comparatively 
short period, yet that one hundred 
years of the existence of Peekskill as 
a municipal corporation has been one 
hundred years filled with events that 
have made more for the benefit of 
mankind, than any one hundred years 
since the beginning of time. 



When Peekskill was incorporated in 
1816, many of those who had passed 
through tie Revolutionary struggle 
were still living, but Washington, 
Franklin, Hamilton and many of the 
strong characters who had been the 
leaders in shaping the wonderful 
events that surrounded the freeing of 
the Colonies, and the organizing of 
this government of free, had passed 
to the Great Beyond. Our Constitu- 
tion was still a piece of new machin- 
ery, the like of which had never be- 
fore been seen in the world, and its 
efficiency to give to the people good 
government and as a bulwark to pro- 
tect their liberties, was still being 
tested, and as to its ultimate success, 
all doubt had not yet been dispelled. 

So many of those who had fought, 
suffered and sacrificed that we might 
obtain self-government, were still liv- 
ing ,that it was not necessary to pro- 
duce representations of the "Spirit of 
Seventy-six" to impress them with the 
patriotism of those early days, that 
patriotism was not yet dulled, nor did 
it lay dormant. 

At this time the second war with 
England had but recently been ter- 
minated, and its scars were yet plen- 
tiful. James Monroe was shortly to 
take the oath of office as President, 
which would lead to his laying down 
doctrines, that were ever to be ad- 
hered to by our government, and 
which were to lead us thereafter, to 
be reckoned as a world power, and a 
nation that must be reckoned with in 
solving the problems of the world. 

Our incorporation was but an indi- 
cation of the progressive spirit with 
which the people were becoming im- 
bued; it was an era of renewed life 
and inspiration, when hamlets were 
taking on the garb and responsibili- 
ties of municipal government. Ours 
was the thirty-eighth village to be 
incorporated in the State of New York 
and the first in Westchester County. 
Of the thirty-eight, fourteen have be- 
come cities, including the largest 
present cities in the State; eleven 
never exercised any municipal life; 
and thirteen still exist with a great- 
er or less degree of municipal activ- 
ity. 

Steadily, year by year, Peekskill has 
improved and grown, and long since 
our population and importance war- 
ranted our becoming a city, but we 
have preferred to be known as the 



181(3— PEEKSKILL CEXTEXXIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 35 




Leverett F. Crninb 

President of the Village of Peekskill 



36 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



largest village in the United States, 
and have gloried in being classed as 
a village. 

The whole country in 181B was be- 
ing flooded with foreign-made goods, 
cheaply manufactured by those who 
had been released from military ser- 
vice by the termination of the world 
wars, and which were thrown upon 
our markets at any price that could 
be obtained. The impossibility of ob- 
taining manufactured goods during 
the war had also impressed our peo- 
ple with the necessity of manufac- 
turing for our own necessitits, so that 
with the advent of Peekskill as a 
municipal government, a new fiscal 
system, which should encourage and 
foster American manufactories be- 
came our governmental policy. There- 
tofore we had been largely an agri- 
cultural people, and manufacturing 
had not been fostered. 

When our municipal garb was put 
on, the Clermont had sailed up the 
Hudson, but the practical results of 
Fulton's invention as an aid to com- 
merce, and the development of the 
country was yet hardly realized. 

DeWitt Clinton was winning his 
fight, but the immense benefits to New 
York which was to make her the 
Empire State from the completion of 
the Erie Canal, was not fully com- 
prehended. The railroad, the telegraph 
and the telephone were yet to come, 
as were the thousand and one inven- 
tions that were to make us the most 
progressive people on earth. 

Peekskill was then but a small ham- 
let of a few hundred population, but 
no place had been better known dur- 
ing the Revolutionary War than this 
locality. Here was the key to the 
communication between the eastern 
and southern states that was neces 
sary to be kept open if the cause 
of liberty was to succeed. Here Put- 
nam, Greene, McDougal, Heath and 
Alexander Hamilton counseled with 
Washington. Washington's Headquar- 
ters in Peekskill was not simply a 
place where he happened to dwell 
over night, but at the Birdsall House 
and the Manor House at Cortlandt- 
ville, more of his time was spent in 
planning for military movements than 
in any other locality, and here he was 
always welcome. 

Situated at the north end of the 
neutral ground with the exception of 
an occasional incursion, the patriots 



were in control of Peekskill, and these 
woods in which we are now assem- 
bled (which through the generosity of 
our fellow-townsman, Chauncey M. 
Depew, have become a pleasure 
ground for the people) and every hill 
within our sight and every road over 
which we must travel, in, about and 
around Peekskill, have resounded 
with the tread of Continental troops. 
So much were these grounds occupied 
that nearly every hill surrounding us 
is still crowned by the remains of 
earthworks thrown up by our patriot- 
ic ancestors. What wonder then at 
this early period in the development 
of municipal government, that our 
people resolved that it was time that 

I Peekskill should no longer be a ham- 
let but should take upon itself the 

I advantage of a real municipal govern- 

i ment. 

Nor were our people idle after the 

I incorporation, for in only a few years 

i on yon hill appeared the Peekskill 
Academy, a world famous institution, 
built by the generosity of our citi- 
zens and dedicated by them to the 
cause of education. Long before any 
semblance of a school system was 
adopted throughout the State, educa- 
tion was furnished for the rising gen- 
eration, not only from this institution 
(which gave the village a cultured at- 
mosphere), but from locally support- 
ed common schools on either side of 
the village. 

Our churches had preceded incor- 
poration, but immediately thereafter 
took new life and substantial organ- 
ization, and from that day to this 
day they have been generously sup- 
ported and conducted by able, God- 
fearing men and in all Peekskill's pro- 
gress they have been the cornerstone. 
Here the first banking institution 
in Westchester County was early 
chartered by General Pierre Van Cort- 
landt, as the Westchester County 
Bank later to have the word "National" 
added to its name, which was to be- 
come and still is a tower of financial 
strength, under the management of 
some of the ablest financiers of the 
State. 

To the National Halls of -Congress 
we have sent Chauncey M. Depew, 
William Nelson, the friend of Abra- 
ham Lincoln; Cornelius A. Pugsley, 
and the younger James W. Husted; to 
the Legislature, we have sent General 
James W. Husted, the greatest parlia- 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



37 



mentarian that ever graced the Speak- 
er's chair. 

Early the enterprising character of 
our population made itself felt in the 
establishment of foundries, machine 
shops and other industries, which 
made the name of Peekskill known the 
world over. 

As time progressed and as each 
decade demanded new and improved 
conditions we have advanced our 
school system, our churches, our wa- 
ter works, our fire department, our 
police department, our street pave- 
ment and every feature of our muni- 
cipal life, until and I speak without 
fear of successful contradiction, we 
have the most efficient municipal gov- 1 
ernment of any village in the State 
of New York. ! 

Our people have ever been patriotic 
and willing to assist, not only in the 
cause of school, church and mankind ' 
in general, but willing to sacrifice life, j 
position and advantages for the wei- j 
fare of the nation. Though our popu- 
lation was then small, when the call 
came from Abraham Lincoln for vol- 
unteers, the first enlistment came 
from Peekskill, until five hundred of 
our best citizens were in the ser- 
vice, of whom nearly one hundred 
men never returned, sacrificing their 
lives for their country. 

Peekskill is peculiarly situated, and 
during the past one hundred years, 
many prosperous conditions have 
been swept away by the march of 
progress and inventions and changed 
conditions. The advent of the steam- 
boat destroyed our commerce by sloop 
to New York; the advent of the Hud- 
son River Railroad again destroyed 
the monopoly of our transportation 
by water, and the building of the 
Harlem Railroad to be followed by the 
Northern Railroad, cut us off as a 
center of a vast farming territory. 
Our people, however, have never been 
discouraged, never taken a step back- 
ward, and the progress of our village 
has been steady and sure. When one 
line of trading or profitable employ- 
ment was stopped, another was dis- 
covered; the grass has never been al- 
lowed to grow in the streets of Peeks- 
kill. 

Peekskill faces the new century of 
her existence without flinching. Fill- 
ed as it is with the noble deeds of 
conscientious, fearless and righteous 
men and women, she has no regrets 



for the past. 

If this celebration is to mean any- 
thing to Peekskill, it is that drawing 
lessons from the past, we must press 
on, and make in our every effort for 
the betterment of our beloved village. 
Send the pessimist and reactionary to 
the rear. Let the enterprising men 
of our community be heard, let them 
be followed. We should not fear 
when men who had so little did so 
much. Let us follow their example, 
then will Peekskill blossom as the 
rose: then will our people be happy, 
contented and prosperous, then will 
good men and good women desire to 
dwell among us, where they and their 
children can enjoy life, surrounded 
with comforts and a prosperous peo- 
ple. 

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF PEEKS- 
KILL BY IVM. J. CHARLTOX. 

On September 14, 1609, a group of 
Mohican Indians stood on the emi- 
nence now known as Mt Saint Gabriel. 
Suddenly one of their number espied 
a winged object coming up the river 
rounding Verplanck's Point. We now 
know that this strange vessel was 
none other than the good ship "Half 
Moon". Capt. Hendrick Hudson at 
prow and that veracious chronicler 
Robert Juet, at the helm, the first 
white men to sail over the beautiful 
waters of Peekskill Bay. Stephanus 
Van Cortlandt was born in New Am- 
sterdam May 7, 1643, and became the 
first Lord of the Manor of Cortlandt 
June 17, 1697. His first purchase 
August 24, 1673, was Verplanck'9 
Point, and a tract below including 
Croton Point. These together with 
other holdings secured later extended 
from the Dutchess County line south 
to Croton River and easterly some 
twenty miles to the Connecticut bor- 
der, excepting two parcels lying on 
the river above Verplanck's Point. 
The first of these was called Ryck's 
Patent and contained 1,800 acres upon 
which a large part of the present vil- 
lage of Peekskill is built. The second 
parcel, not included in the Van Cort- 
landt estate, was one of 300 acres 
fronting on the upper part of Peeks- 
kill Bay, which was deeded by Sir- 
ham Sachem of Sockhues to Jacobus 
DeKay. 

During the Revolutionary War 
Peekskill was a very important post 
covering the roads to the passes of 
the Highlands on the north and to the 



38 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 191fi 



King's Ferry on the south. It lies on 
the direct road from the Eastern 
States to the south. It was by this 
route that the American and the 
French armies, marched to the cam 
paign, which culminated in the sm 
render of Yorktown, Va., and the cap- 
ture of Lord Cornwallis and his army. 
Gens. Putnam, McDougall, Heath and 
George and James Clinton and the 
Commander-in-Chief on several occa 
sions had their headquarters here. 

On March 23, 1777, as soon as the 
Hudson was clear of ice, a squadron 
of vessels of war and transports 
came to anchor in our bay and landed 
five hundred men at Lent's Cove, un- 
der command of Col. Bird. From 
thence they pushed forward through 
this village with four light field pieces 
drawn by sailors. General McDougall 
set fire to some stores he could not 
remove and retreated to Bald Hill, 
overlooking Continental Village. Col. 
Marinar Willett, summoned by Mc- 
Dougall from Fort Constitution, inter- 
cepted the marauders near the Twin 
Hills, drove them back in confusion 
to Canopus Creek, where they fled in 
boats to the main body and inglori- 
ously sailed away, leaving thirteen of 
their number dead on the field. 

The original act incorporating the 
Village of Peekskill is known as 
Chapter 195 Laws of 1816, passed 
April 17th of that year. It is entitled; 
"An Act to vest certain powers in the 
Freeholders and Inhabitants of the 
Village of Peekskill in the County of 
Westchester." 

Section I. — Be it enacted by the Peo- 
ple of the State of New York, repre- 
sented in Senate and Assembly: That 
the inhabitants residing within the 
district of country, in the Town of 
Cortlandt, in the County of Westches- 
ter, contained within the following 
limits, that is to say, beginning at the 
northwest corner of the farm late of 
Joseph Travis, upon the Hudson Riv- 
er, thence easterly, striking the road 
six rods north of Joseph C. Vought's 
house; thence across the road in the 
same direction six rods; thence a 
south course to the north line of the 
land in possession of Elias Clapp; 
thence westerly to a place called Car- 
man's Point on the Hudson River; 
thence along said river northerly, to 
the place of beginning, shall be known 
and distinguished by the name of the 
Village of Peekskill". 

The second section appointed the 



second day of May as the date of the 
annual election of five trustees. The 
third section defined the powers of 
that body, the fourth, freeholders how 
to raise money; fifth, taxes, how ap- 
portioned and manner of collection; 
sixth, to appoint firemen and impose 
penalties; seventh, firemen to do mil- 
itary duties, any legislation to the con- 
trary notwithstanding; eighth, all 
provisions above noted to be liberally 
and benignly construed. The first 
village election to raise money for fire 
purposes was held on May 14, 1827, at 
the house of Jared Stone. The sum 
to be raised was $750.00 as certified 
to by Wm. B. Birdsall, a Justice of 
the Peace, on June 23, 1827, which 
sum was to be used in the purchase of 
a fire engine and hose. 

The engine was a very crude affair. 
The pumps were worked by two 
cranks. The water was pumped from 
a tank or box, which had to be filled 
with water from pails and then pump- 
ed on the fire. This clumsy appara- 
tus lasted ten years. 

An election for village officers was 
held August 18, 1827, at which Dr. 
Samuel Strang was elected president, 
Ezra Marshall, secretary; John Hal- 
sted, Philip Clapp and James Birdsall 
trustees; Josiah S. Ferris, collector; 
Stephen Turner, constable; Stephen 
Brown, treasurer. 

August 30, 1827, Columbian Engine 
Company was organized, with William 
B. Birdsall as foreman, Nathaniel 
Bedle assistant foreman, Wm. H. Steel 
secretary, Wm. H. Powell treasure^- 
and Nathaniel Williams steward. This 
was the nucleus of the present effi- 
cient Fire Department. The appara- 
tuses were moved from place to place 
by hand, later by horses and now by 
motor engines built in as component 
parts of the apparatus. The first 
Hook and Ladder Company's truck 
was made here at a cost of $85.00. The 
present apparatus with aerial ladder 
and modern appliances cost nearly 
twelve thousand dollars. All the fire 
companies are handsomely uniformed, 
well housed and furnished with all 
the conveniences of a first class club. 
Under the leadership of our excellent 
chief engineer and his able assistants, 
our department is second, in discipline 
and efficiency, to no volunteer fire de- 
partment in the State. Cortlandt 
Hook and Ladder Company was or- 
ganized May 29, 1833; Washington 
Engine Company, No. 2, Sept. 2, 1840; 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



39 



Columbian Hose Co., No. 2, in 1848, 
and Centennial Hose Co., No. 4, Jan- 
uary 8, 1876. The active list for each 
company is limited to 80 members. 

Peekskill has always been noted for 
her patriotism; her sons fought in the 
War of the Revolution, and also in 
1812. She sent her representatives 
in the Mexican struggle. Col. Garret 
Dyckman, wounded in the desperate 
charge at Chepultepec, was presented 
with a gold snuff box by President 
Tyler, in honor of his heroism on that 
occasion. Charles A. Wiley, but lately 
passed away, was a fifer in that war, 
and later drum major in the" Hauck- 
ins' Zouaves", and also in the Sixth 
Heavy Artillery in the War of the 
Rebellion. Among the seven hundred, 
who went to the front from the Town 
of Cortlandt, fully five hundred hailed 
from Peekskill. As much as I would 
like to recount their toils, privations, 
hardships and sacrifices, time does not 
permit such an indulgence. Many of 
those Avho gave up their young lives 
were my friends and school-mates. 
Noble fellows. A monument in honor 
of their devotion is now being erected 
and in a few days will be unveiled 
with appropriate services. The me- 
morial is of Barre granite suitably in- 
scribed. 

Our older citizens recall with pride 
the memories of our twe crack mili- 
tary companies, the "Jefferson 
Guards" and the "Bleakley Rifles". 
The former under Capt. Justus Hyatt 
garrisoned Fort Gansevoort in New j 
York city in 1812-1814. Col. John H. i 
Hyatt, a son of Justus (a worthy son I 
of a worthy sire) led this company \ 
with others, in June 1863, to Balti- 
more and garrisoned Fort Marshall in 
that city. Our gifted townsman, the | 
Hon. Chauncey M. Depew, was adju- 1 
tant. Any regiment might well be : 
proud of having had such an accom- 
plished officer upon its staff. Chaun- 
cey yet sunives to tell the story of 
his escape from the charming and se- 
ductive smiles of those Baltimore 
belles. 

Mr. John Halsted, erstwhile captain 
of this famous band. Lieutenants 
Henry H. Lane and Montross Church- 
ill, First Sergeant William E. Lane, 
James McCov and G. Albert Cruger, 
paraded yesterday as veterans of 
those days before the war. 

In the records of our Board of Tru'j- 
tees for the year 18.53 appears thi,^ 
minute: "The Board presented to 



Captain Abram H. Lord, of the Jeffer- 
son Guards, a silver cup of the value 
of ten dollars, as a token of respect 
to our unsurpassed company of citizen 
soldiers". 

The following named color bearer.n 
from Peekskill upheld the honor of 
"Old Glory" in the Civil War. In the 
9th N. Y. Vols. (Hawkins' Zouaves) J. 
William Patterson, who gave up his 
young life on the field at Antietam, 
John Nelson Fink, a comrade and fel- 
low townsman, seized the beloved em- 
blem, bore it aloft shouting defiance, 
until the enemy was driven back in 
confusion. Another son of Peekskill, 
Justus Nelson Foster, upon the stub- 
bornly contested field of Gettysburg, 
sustained the colors of the 59th N. Y. 
against Pickett's famous charge. Wal- 
ter R. Boice of the Sixth N. Y. Heavy 
Artillery, won a lieutenant's commis- 
sion for his gallant bearing of the reg- 
imental standard at Cedar Creek. An- 
other Peekskill boy at White Oak 
Road, Five Forks and Appomattox re- 
ceived a similar reward for a like ser- 
vice on those famous and historic- 
fields. That boy now a gray haired 
veteran is with us to-day. 

St. Peter's Chapel at Van Cortlandt- 
ville, chartered in 1770, was used as 
an hospital during the Revolutionary 
War. 

A Baptist Church was built nearby 
in 1772. This building disappeared 
many years ago. The First Baptist 
Church in this village was organized 
in 1843. The Rev. Edward Conover 
was duly elected pastor October 31 of 
that year. 

The First M. E. Church was first in- 
corporated August 23, 1808. There 
were steps taken in 1795 to build an 
edifice which was completed in 1811. 
The present church was erected in 
1837 on the site of the old one. A few 
years ago the former was greatly alter- 
ed and enlarged. The Methodist Pro- 
testant Society was founded on Park 
street in 1827, and the church incor- 
porated Nov. 23, 1836. The Wesleyan 
Methodists built their church in 1836. 
They were incorporated in 1842. St. 
Paul's M. E. Church was organized In 
1865, and a fine new building erected 
the same year. 

The First Presbyterian Church was 
organized June 26, 1820. by the Rev. 
Elihu W. Baldwin of the N. Y. Pres- 
bytery. The Second Presbyterian 
Church was organized Nov. 17, 1841 
The Rev. D. M. Halliday, of sainted 



40 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



memory, occupied its pulpit almost 2o 
years. The Rev. J. Ritchie Smith also 
had a pastorate of nearly equal length. 
The church has a fine parsonage 
which with the lot directly opposite 
the church has cost about 15,000. This 
church in its 90 years of existence 
has had but seven pastors. 

The Van Nest Reformed Church on 
Main street, is the daughter of the Re- 
formed Church of Cortlandtown (Mon- 
trose). There used to be a Congrega- 
tional Church on Diven street, which 
was merged with the Reformed 
Church of Cortlandtown about 1831, 
when the Rev. Cornelius D. West- 
brook, D. D., became pastor. Through 



-TTT- 




William J. Cliarltoii 

the persistent efforts of Dr. West- 
brook, aided by the Consistory, a new 
site was secured on the South side of 
Main street, a little east of the Eagle 
Hotel. The corner stone was laid 
April 29, 1839. On that occasion the 
Rev. J. Mason Macauley preached an 
appropriate sermon in the Episcopal 
Church. The new church now adopted 
the style and title of "The Van Nest 
Reformed Church of Peekskill". The 
Rev. Chas. D. Buck succeeded Dr. 
Westbrook in 1851 and remained nine- 
teen years. 

Dr. Buck not being satisfied with 
the surroundings, prevailed with his 
congregation in securing a lot on the 
northeast corner of Main and No. 



James street. On this property a fine 
brick building was erected. The cor- 
nerstone was laid January 17, 1864, 
and on December 28 following was 
consecrated to the service of Almighty 
God. 

The Church of the Assimiption (R. 
C.) erected 1863-65, a fine brick struc- 
ture with spire and belfry, is near the 
corner of Union avenue and First 
street. The parsonage fronts on First- 
street. The late Rev. James T. Cur- 
ran, D. D., a man of large heart and 
purpose in the early part of this 
century, conceived the idea of build- 
ing an institution that would serve to 
bind his people together, and as a 
meeting place for the younger genera- 
tions to become acquainted, also for 
the instruction of the children. 
Against great difliculties, which con- 
fronted him he succeeded in his plans 
— the result being the "Guardian", the 
finest building in the village. This 
cost fully $350,000. Dr. Curran re- 
cently died, mourned by every right- 
minded person in the community. The 
Guardian remains as a noted me- 
morial of him and his ministry. 

The following are a few of our citi- 
zens who have been conspicuous in 
the history of Peekskill: 

Lieut-Governor Pierre Van Cort- 
landt, member of the Committee of 
Safety. Also a member of the Con- 
stitutional Convention. 

Col. Philip Van Cortlandt was a del- 
egate to the First Provincial Con- 
gress and Col. Pierre Van Cortlandt 
to the second, third and fourth. 

The Hon. Wm. Nelson, born at 
Hyde Park, N. Y., June 29, 1784, who 
passed away at Peekskill Oct. 2, 1869. 
fills a large place in the history of 
Peekskill. He was postmaster from 
Oct. 1, 1810, to Dec. 5, 1821. February 
21, 1822, he was appointed District At- 
torney for this county, which office 
he creditably held for more than 22 
years. He was twice a member of 
Congress from this district, serving 
from 1847-30th— 1849-31st, at the 
same period as the lamented Lincoln 
In February, 1861, when the latter as 
President-elect passed through Peeks- 
kill on his way to Washington, the 
train bearing him (and of which our 
own Joseph Hudson was conductor) 
stopped to take on fuel and water. 
was welcomed by Mr. Nelson. Mr. 
! Lincoln at once recognized Mr. Nel- 
I son, shook hands with him, and re- 
I plied to the address of welcome with 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



41 



a felicity of utterance and charm of 
manner which captivated his audience 
and that gave to his rugged features a 
smoothness of outline that for a time 
transformed them. 

Mr. Nelson was a member of As- 
sembly 1819-20 and was State Seaator 
from 1824 to 1827. His eldest son 
Thomas Nelson was Chief Justice of 
the territory of Oregon, being ap- 
pointed as such January 9, 1851. 

St. John Constant 1770-1847 was 
Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. 
1806-1812, sheriff of this county; 1807- 
1811, President of Peekskill; 1828. 
1831, 1833, member of Assembly; 
1823 and 1833, supervisor. 

Frost Horton was Supervisor in 
1857-58. Member of Assembly 1860. 

Chauncey M. Depew, elected mem- 
ber of Assembly 1861-2, Secretary of 
State 1863 to 1866. Also President of 
the New York Central Railroad and 
United States Senator from the Em- 
pire State. 

James W. Husted, the famous Bald 
Eagle from Westchester, first School 
Commissioner from the Third District. 



First elected to the Assembly in 1869. 
Was six times chosen Speaker. Served 
22 terms in the lower house, was 
Deputy Superintendent of the Insur- 
ance Department, Harbor Master and 
Deputy Captain of the Port, Emigra- 
tion Commissioner. For 35 years in 
responsible positions in our State 
government. He was also judge advo- 
cate of the 7th Brigade. Major Gen- 
eral of the 5th Division of the National 
Guard. Grand Master of Masonic frar 
ternity of the State of New York. 

His son, James W. Husted, jr., also 
served in the State Assembly and 
now represents this Congressional 
District in the Lower House of Con- 
gress. 

The record of Mr. Husted, the elder, 
for length of service and for duties 
performed stands unrivalled in the 
history of the Empire State. Many 
other worthy citizens of our village in 
the past are worthy of most honorable 
mention for what they did to make 
Peekskill a pleasant place to live in 
and who did their full share in pro- 
moting its prosperity and welfare. 










^^^ 




%^^i ' 



Vau Cortlaiultville 3Iaiiy Years Ago, showing St. Peter's Cluircli, Paulding 
3Ionuinent and tlie Tavern. 



42 1S16— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 

ADDRESS BY KEAK.AD3IIRAL F. E. CHADWICK, U. S. U. 

We people of the United States of America are celebrating today an 
act of our forefathers which declared thirteen colonies of the British 
Empire, independent of British rule. I shall not go into the causes of 
this act more than to say that like most things of great political moment 
it was a commercial question brought to a crisis by trade restrictions 
imposed by the mother country. We fought a war nominally of eight 
years' duration, but actively less than seven. All this while there were 
divisions among our own people on the subject such that there were 
at times more Americans in the ranks of Britain than there were in the 
Continental forces. That in the circumstances we should ever have won 
is one of the amazing facts of history. That we did win was due more 
•.to George Washington than 'to any other man; one is tempted to say more 
than to all others together. America honors herself in doing him rev- 
•erence. 

Now while celebrating this event, which was the throwing off of the 
hegemony of Britain, it was but the beginning of the great change; for 
it was followed four years after the peace by another equally important; 
the forming of our Constitution, which went into effect in 1789. The 
year 1787 is that of our real birth as a nation, as the loose and in- 
effective articles of confederation, drawn during the war could never 
have held us together. 

Having laid a cornerstone in 1776 and built a foundation in 1787, 
what have we done in the way of superstructure which we are still 
a-building. For we started the greatest, most difficult and one of the most 
-extraordinary efforts in history, to blend a nationality of all the nations 
of the world. We did not know this in the offset as fully as we know it 
BOW. It is not an effort such as that of the Roman or British Empires which 
were not the amalgamation, but the exploitation of nations for the benefit 
of a central power. Ours is a great effort for the common good of all 
races and thus stands ethically infinitely above that of either Rome or 
England. This was the wonderful work cut out for us by the events of 
1776 and 1787. That it has become one of unforeseen difficulty and mag- 
Bitude is through the addition of many tribes of men almost unknown 
even by name to our fathers, and which by the marvelous development 
of transport in the last century have been, or it were, brought to our 
very doors, until there are now in the United States men of more than 
fifty different nationalities. It is our work to weld these many different 
races not only into a nation, but into a nationality, meaning by this lat- 
ter, a population approaching homogeneity. If we should fail in this, 
the work of our fathers will have gone for naught, and the celebration of 
this day, by the very nature of things, cease at no distant day. But let 
us hope it will not fail. I believe we shall solve this greatest of human 
efforts for the general good. Some of our people under the influence of a 
temporary hysteria, are indulging in a propaganda of hate, but it is 
impossible that such can understand what our country stands for; a 
home for all who are seeking better conditions. We must remember that 
in the years of greater immigration, we receive in one year as many 
Russians and Italians as would make another Boston. And at the same 
time come yearly scores of thousands from Austria, Ireland, Great Brit- 
ain, Sweden and Norway; and fives and tens of thousands from Greece, the 
Netherlands, Denmark, Turkey and others. There can be no question that 
they come to us as to a promised land with highest hopes and in very 
nxany cases with highest aspiration. 

Men do not leave their native soil, breaking away from family and 
racial traditions for nothing. They can do so only when they have a cer- 
tain spirituality of motive, however sordid it may appear superficially. I 
can call myself an American as much as can any one who has not a 
red skin; as the first of my name landed here 286 years ago and I can 
trace no blood in me which is not American for 200 years. Personally, 1 
am a compound of British blood, i. e.., Scotch, English and Welsh, but de- 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 43 

spite the facts that, through my ancestors I have been so long in the 
country I can not under our system, reckon myself more American 
than the man who has just taken out his naturalization. And this feel- 
ing I am sure in my own mind at least, we must have if we are to have 
a real American nation. We cannot here be British or Italian, French 
or German or Swede and at the same time be Americans. For to be an 
American can only mean one who works for the building of an American 
nationality. We no more want the separate life here of the many nations 
which contribute to our stock than we wanted a separate North and South, 
or want an East and West America. Our only safety as a nation lies in 
working toward a complete integration. There is only one alternative; 
the establishment of a multitude of Macedonias. One way lies peace and 
high endeavor and great accomplishment; the other way, war, hate and 
destruction. These words are not too strong; they are true; in my opin- 
ion; profoundly true. I have no objection to the Briton or Turk or 
Frenchman or German sympathizing with the land of his origin in this 
great contest going on abroad. I, for one, can appreciate the feeling they are 
all undergoing. They have my sympathy. 

Even at the time of the Declaration of Independence we were a 
people of many and varied sorts. There were the English of New Eng- 
land, Virginia and Maryland: the English and Dutch of New York; 
the English and Germans of Pennsylvania; the Swedes of Delaware; 
the French Huguenots of New York and South Carolina. When 
I use the word English it is to include the Scotch and the Welsh of whom 
many had come to America. The Scotch-Irish of Ulster came to the 
number of 3,000 to 6,000 annually between 1725 and 1768. A famine in 
Ireland in 1740 caused an emigration, chiefly from North of Ireland, for 
some years of about 12,000 a year. From 1771 to 1773 some 30,000 came. 
It is estimated that half of the Presbyterians of Ulster came to this coun- 
try in a moderate number of years before the Revolution. The greatest 
number by far of these we distributed toward the South; few compara- 
tively went to New York or New England though enough went to New York 
to give the name of Ulster to a New York County. Many went to Vir- 
ginia and the Carolinas and it was these people who formed the bulk of 
"The Great Crossing" as it was called, which traversed the Alleghenies 
into Kentucky and Tennessee and finally peopled, mainly, the Southwest. 
It was a great and adventurous race to which the United States is in- 
debted today for the Northwest Territory then so called, which, at the time 
of the peace, carried our boundaries to the Great Lakes and the Mississippi. 

Great numbers of Germans came early in the eighteenth century. This 
migration begun in 1683 and was due chiefly to the seizure of Alsace- 
Lorraine by Louis XIV, an act which had far-reaching consequences for 
us in furnishing America one of its best stocks. Seventy thousand Germans 
entered at the port of Philadelphia between 1727 and 1775. Franklin esti- 
mated that at the latter date there were 100,000 Germans in Pennsylvania, 
a migration that set its mark, lasting to this day, upon the language, 
customs and religion of the state. "Pennsylvania Dutch" is still a living 
language. The real Dutch, the Hollanders, the original settlers of New 
York, were and remained strong in that state both through numbers and 
character. The amazing strength in the latter respect is shown in the per- 
sistence of their language to a late date though the English had taken pos- 
session of the colony in 1664 when it may be well to say England and Holland 
were otherwise at peace. Dutch was still in very common use at the time 
of the Revolution and it was so for generations later outside of the City of 
New York. I have been told on excellent authority that so late as 1840 it 
was necessary to know Dutch to carry on business on the upper Hudson. 
And when my wife and I visited her many Dutch relations in Albany and 
Troy some thirty years ago, some of tlie old ladies were rather put out 
that she could not speak Dutch. One even went so far as to keep a Dutch 
butler in order to keep up her knowledge of the language. 

Few recall that the Swedes were the earliest colonists on the Dela- 
ware or know that the oldest church now in use in the eastern part of 



44 1S16— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 

our country is one built of good solid stone by the Swedes in 1687 at 
Avhat is now Wilmington and which is still in continuous use. 

By 1820 migration began anew and we have today by careful compu- 
tation, besides those of British descent, not less than 20,000,000 of Ger- 
man blood, over 12,000,000 Irish and in these latter days many millions of 
others of many kinds. There were by the census of 1910 some 32,000,000 
of people living in the United States who were either born abroad or 
born here in the first generation of foreign parentage, or with a foreign 
father or a foreign mother. This is a startling fact, one to be taken account 
of. The Germans come first with eight and one-quarter millions, the 
British, counting Canadians (but not the French), 5,000,000; the Irish four 
and one-half millions, the Scandinavians two and three-quarter millions; 
the Russians and Finns the same; the Austro-Hungarians also two and 
three-quarter millions; the Italians 2,000,000. There are over one million 
Jews in the one city of New York. Now the shape in which this vast 
mass is to be molded is for us to say. The real problem, says Professor 
Edward Steiner in his very interesting book, "The Trail of the Immi- 
grant", is whether the American is virile enough to assimilate the foreign 
immigration and not so much whether the foreign material is of the proper 
quality. Mr. Steiner is a Bosnian of German blood and yet can say. 
"As I write this I realize that I am saying 'us' and 'our' as if I were 
not a new American myself and one of those who make up the racial prob' 
lem. Yet when I recall to myself the fact that I too belong to an alien 
race, it comes to me like a shock, when I realize that I was born be- 
neath another flag and that this is but my adopted country, it gives me 
almost a sense of shame that I have in a great degree, if not altogether, 
forgotten these facts and I am so completely and absorbingly American 
that I can write 'us' and 'our', speak of my own people as foreigners and 
of my native country as a strange land. Something has so wrought upon 
me that in spite of the fact that I came to this country in my young man- 
hood, I look upon America as my Fatherland. The same power is still 
active; still strong enough to repeat the miracle of yesterday; but I am no 
better than these millions who are regarded as a menace. With millions 
of these new Americans I say today that which we shall continue to 
say, whether it fare well or ill with our own adopted country. 'Their 
people shall be my people and their God my God'." 

But whether some of us may like it or not, the indisputable, relentless, 
and compelling fact is that these many and diverse millions are here to 
stay and become a part of our social and political life. The descendants of 
a more ancient immigration cannot' kill off these many millions nor de- 
port, nor intern them. They are an integral part of our make up. The 
only true statesmanship is to make the best of existing facts, to recognize 
that following our motto, E Pluribus Unura, we are to look to the mak- 
ing of one nation out of many, a new people to be welded together 
through human sympathy and love instead of being divided, by hate? It 
is this or nothing. 

It is our task and one which cannot be evaded. It is certainly inter- 
esting as it is also, certainly, the greatest ever set for any people to do. 

I beg to end with some words I used in an address on July 4, 1914, at Se- 
tauket. Long Island. They were spoken but 29 days before all Europe 
was at war and they contain a prophecy. I said: "Are we doing all 
we can to fulfill the hopes in which Washington lived and died? Has 
our democracy made good? Unquestionably Washington, were he able to 
revisit us, would in some ways be severely shocked. He would be so by 
our amazing failure to properly administer our cities, by a not over-suc- 
cess of our representative system, on which such high hopes were laid, 
and by an undoubted deterioration of character which has come about 
from many causes which in a short time one cannot venture to analyze. 
* * * More serious than all he would find a people made up of races from 
every part of the earth, speaking as many as forty languages unknown 
to Washington, instead of the comparatively homogeneous stock of his 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 45 

day; men of different habits, different religions, and ways of thought. Cer- 
tainly Washington never dreamed that Russians, Armenians, Hungarians, 
Italians and Syrians (to mention a few of these races) would ever be great 
and influential parts of our national life and in great degree are replacing 
our old stock. For this latter has not held its own. Had the ratio of in- 
crease which held up to 1815 continued in our n&tive population we should 
have had today much more than 100,000,000 of native-born Americans, 
even had there been no •immigration whatever. They are, however, here 
for good or ill and they will in great degree be what we shall choose to 
make of them by our own example. This great fact throws upon us of 
the older American stock the duty of a cultivation of character as Wash- 
ington understood character. Are we striving toward such a goal? Let 
each one answer for himself, for character is personal before it is col- 
lective. But I think that there are many signs that we are. And it is not 
only ourselves who are in a state of flux. It is a condition common to 
the whole world. We have come to one of these great periodic changes 
in which society has to meet the strain of reconstruction. Such changes 
are but a part of the general development of' mankind and must occur at 
longer or shorter intervals. In our national existence we have had at 
least four of these, three of which have been solved in blood and but one 
peacefully; our Revolution of 1776; the formation of the Union under the 
Constitution in 1787; the new independence which came with the war of 
1812; and the great change wrought by the Civil War of 1861. Since the 
last date new factors of change have come into our life with a rapidity 
never before known. All the world is now mobile where before it was 
immobile. There are men still living who can recall the time when two 
coaches carried all who wanted to go each day from New York to Phila- 
delphia; the newspaper goes to every house in the land, the railway reach- 
es every town, all the happenings of the world are known in a few hours 
to every household, machines make Our clothes instead of the slow moving 
needle, our food is prepared and brought to us in tins, the old-fashiosed life 
has gone out of existence and everyone is looking forward to a new sort. 
To readjust ourselves will require an the character of which we are capa- 
ble. It is for us to see that there shall be developed that higher con- 
scientiousness, that higher spirit of religion, that higher ideal whch shall 
transfer us peacefully to the new plane to which we are tending. If we 
keep before us the character and spirit of Washington, of the men who 
fought the war of the Revolution, who signed the Declaration of Independ- 
ence and wrought the Constitution, we shall meet successfully our diflS- 
culties. In doing so is our only safety." 

This new upheaval came much sooner than most expected, though all 
the signs were in sight. It holds for us the highest possibilities, if wisely 
met; if not so met, infinite dangers. Let us hope that as a people we 
shall have that vision which shall carry us to the heights of Washington's 
fondest hopes. 



REGIMENTAL REVIEW AT CAMP. 

One of the events not on the printed 
and official program was a review of 
the Forty-seventh Regiment at the 



The regiment had been drawn up on 
the parade ground. Admiral French E. 
Chadwick was the reviewing officer, 
accompanied by Congressman Lemuel 
State^ "campV "arranged"" Monday by ! P- Padgett, ex-Congressman Cornelius 
Grand Marshal Fred A. Smith. It gave A. Pugsley. Colonel William J- Bryan, 
Peace Advocate Bryan a lesson m i Nathan P. Bushnell, Dr. Albert E.Phin 
preparedness Frederick Morgan, Lieutenants Smith 

After the luncheon to Col. Bryan at and Booth, U. S. N., and Geo. E. Briggs. 
the Eagle Hotel, the Centennial guests i They marched down in front of the 
and committee members were conveyed regiment and in front of the First Ar- 
by automobile to the big plateau across , mored Motor Battery. Here a brief 
the river, where there was a brief re- j stop was made and the armored cars 
ception at the White House. 1 were explained to the party. The 



46 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



march was then continued in the rear 
of the regiment and battalion all the 
way round to the front. 

Then the regiment passed in review, 
Admiral Chadwick taking the review. 
Immediately behind him stood the re- 
mainder of the party, then augmented 
by some late comers, Leverett F. 
Crumb, Lieutenant Commander Neal, 
Wm. H. H. MacKellar, Cyrus W. Hor- 
ton, Jr., Ensigns Briggs and Cole. 

It was an inspiring sight, the march- 
ing by of the thousand guardsmen in 
kahki uniform to the martial strains 
of the drum corps. Col. Wm. H. Chapin 
of the general staff and Col. E. M. 
Janicky of the regiment and a number 
•of officers accompanied the civilians, 
an officer and a civilian paired off in 
the march in front and rear of the 
regiment. 

Afterward the officers in camp 
marched to headquarters and were 
each formally presented to Admiral 
Chadwick. 

Meanwhile Col. Bryan had entered 
ex-Congressman Pugsley's automobile 
and was driven to Ossining, where 
Col. Bryan spoke to the criminals in- 
carcerated in Sing Sing Prison. The 
rest of the party returned to Peekskill. 

NATAL OFFICERS' RECEPTION. 

At five o'clock Tuesday, President 
and Mrs. Crumb gave a reception to 
Lieutenant-Commander Neal of the U. 
S. S. Cummings and the officers of the 
fleet, Admiral and Mrs. Chadwick and 
Congressman Padgett, chairman of the 
Naval Committee, also being guests of 
honor. 

The affair was informal and limited 
to the officers and chairmen of the 
Centennial Committee, the village trus- 
tees, the president of the Board of 
Commerce and their wives and a few 
young people. 

The guests were received by Mr. and 
Mrs. Crumb and presented to the offi- 
cers. President Crumb's residence on 
the hill was thrown open, so that the 
living room, library, music room, din- 
ing room and veranda appeared to be 
as one large room. The only decora- 
tions, except the flags that have cov- 
ered the residence during the centen- 
nial days, were flowers in abundance 



from the Hill View Gardens, the most 
attractive feature being many bouquets 
of red, white and blue. A perfect day, 
with the beautiful flower gardens (one 
of the show places of Peekskill) in 
front, the village stretching below, the 
view from the porch as the setting 
sun cast its rays from over Dunder- 
berg, across the bay where the ships 
lay at anchor, was a picture of such 
magnificence as to be long remembered 
and treasured by every guest present 
who feasted his eyes upon the glori- 
ous view. 

Through the gracious hospitality of 
the host and hostess, every guest was 
at ease and well provided with the re- 
freshments which were served in abun- 
dance. It was most fitting that our 
president should thus extend his hos- 
pitality to the naval guests of the vil- 
lage, and was a splendid culmination 
of his indefatigable efforts to see that 
j in so far as duty devolved upon him 
that the centennial celebration should 
be a credit to Peekskill. As Com- 
mander Neal extended his hand to the 
President in bidding him adieu, he 
Isaid: "The hospitality of your people 
j has been great. Please remember that 
whenever and wherever my ship casts 
anchor, the password that will always 
gain admittance to my ship and an 
invitation to board is 'Peekskill'." 

The charm and graciousness of Mrs. 
Crumb never appeared to greater ad- 
vantage than upon this occasion, and 
it will long be remembered by all. 



frormi 

mm 



Tlie Old Milestone at Ueeks' Comer 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CENTExXNIAL CELEBRATIOX— 1916 



47 



THE LOCHEON TO MR. BRYAN. 

After the anniversary exercises at 
Depew Park on the Fourth of July, 
William Jennings Bryan and the dis- 
tinguished guests were entertained at 
luncheon at the Eagle Hotel. 
The menu was: 

Grape Fruit au Marachino 

Soups 

Puree of Garden Apple Aux Croutons 

Cream of Pullet a la Reine 

Relish 

Radishes, Sliced Cucumbers, Pickles 

Fish 

Fried Lake Bass, Parisienne Potatoes 

Boiled 

Leg of Mutton, Mint Sauce 

Entrees 

Fried Cliicken a la Maryland 

Spaghetti in Tomatoes 

Velvet Sponge, Wine Sauce 

Roasts 

Prime Ribs of Beef au jus 

Rhode Island Duck, Stewed Apples 

Lettuce and Tomato Salad 

Mayonnaise Dressing 

Vegetables 

Mashed Potatoes, Boiled Potatoes 

Garden Peas, Butter Beets 

Dessert 

Apple, Cherry, Blueberry, Custard Pies 

Strawberry Short Cake 

Vanilla Ice Cream 

Iced Watermelon 

Orange Jelly 
Tea, Coffee, Milk 
Those present were William Jen- 
nings Bryan, Admiral French E. Chad- 
wick, Congressman Lemuel P. Padgett, 
ex-Congressman Cornelius A. Pugsley, 
Leverett F. Crumb, George F. Canfield, 
Chester De Witt Pugsley, Clifford 
Couch, Lieutenant Commander G. F. 
Neal. Lieutenant E. McK. Fromant, of 
the Seventh Infantry, representing the 
Adjutant General, Rev. J. Wilbur Tet- 
ley, Jacob Fish, Nathan P. Bushnell, 
Franklin Montross, William H. H. Mac- 
Kellar, Geo. E. Briggs, Franklin Couch, 
Rev. F. G. Illsley, Fred W. Otte, Albert 
E. Cruger, Karl M. Sherman, E. R. 
Russell, Ensigns Maxwell Cole and H. 
M. Briggs, of the U. S. S. Cummings, 
Lieutenants J. M. Smith and R. H. 
Booth of the U. S. S. Worden, Martin 
Nilsson, Edward E. Young, Cyrus W. 
Horton, Jr., Frank H. Whitney, Dr. 
Albert E. Phin, Fred A. Smith, John S. 
Baker and William F. Hoehn. 

The luncheon occupied about an hour 
from shortly after two o'clock until 
after three, when the start for the 
State Camp was made. 



THE BASEBALL GAME J I LI 4. 

Part of the celebration program was 
a baseball game on the P. M. A. dia- 
mond between the Oakside and Drum 
Hill nines on Tuesday afternoon. The 
game was witnessed by over two thou- 
sand people. The committee band, the 
Sixth Artillery, played during the spec- 
tacular contest. 

Never before in the history of base- 
ball in this village have so great a 
number congregated upon one field to 
witness a game. The athletic com- 
mittee of the Centennial made a wise 
move when they chose the two high 
schools to do honors upon the nation's 
I most important holida -, especially at 
this time when the people are cele- 
! brating the incorporation of Peekskill. 
I Both teams had played two games 
j previous to this one and Oakside was 
1 victorious in both. In the first Oakside 
I won 7 to 2, but in the second game 
[ten innings were necessary for Oak- 
i side to win, 4 to 3. As has been the 
custom for years the Drum Hill root- 
ers assembled along the third base line, 
while the Oakside rooters were lined 
up along the first base line. 

To the victorious nine great honors 
fell, for they were the recipients of 
gold watch fobs. Escorted by the band, 
the players of the winning team, mem- 
bers of the Board of Education, Super- 
intendent Bohlmann, Principal Quitt- 
meyer and hundreds of alumni and 
students paraded around the ball field, 
with Scharff, the winning twirler, up- 
on the shoulders of the students, and 
then through the main thoroughfares 
of the town. As they paraded through 
the streets all traffic was stopped. The 
students sang and made their school 
yells heard throughout the town. To 
put a climax to the heroes of the day, 
the crowd, with hats off, stopped be- 
fore the Westchester County National 
Bank and sang "America" to the ac- 
companiment of the band. 

Scharff, who was the slab artist for 
Drum Hill, pitched a masterful game, 
giving Oakside three hits and getting 
fourteen strikeouts. At only one stage 
of the game was there any danger of 
his being scored upon. This was In 
the fifth inning. Gordon fanned as a 



4S 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CEI-EBRATIOX— 1916 



starter. Hunt' lined the ball out into 
the crowd in left center, going for only 
two bases on account of ground rules 
prevailing, as the crowds were upon 
the field. Lippert got an infield hit, 
Hunt going to third. Kessler fanned 
and then Blank ended the chances of 
Oakside by rolling out to Scharff. 

In the first inning Oakside had the 
best opportunity to score during any 
time of the game, but luck broke 
against them. Kessler walked to first 
when Scharff hit him with the first 
ball pitched. Blank then grounded to 
Petrillo, who fumbled long enough for 
Blank to reach first safely. Graninger 
grounded to Forson, but Blank could 
not get out of the way of the ball, 
which necessitated Umpire Donohue 
to call him out for interference, and 
the rud scored by Kessler did not 
count. At no other stage of the game 
did Oakside have an opportunity to 
score, for Scharff always tightened up 
in the pinches. 

Drum Hill started things in the first 
inning. Roy delighted the Oakside 
fans by taking three healthy swings. 
Olstein waited for four balls. Robin- 
son singled to right field, Olstein going 
to third. Wyatt grounded to Blank, 
who fumbled the ball. Wyatt was safe, 
Olstein scoring and Robinson going to 
third. Wyatt stole second. Posey came 
through with a two bagger in right, 
scoring Robinson and Wyatt amid great 
glee and jubilation of the Drum Hill 
rooters. Forson grounded out, Kess- 
ler to Lent. Petrillo grounded to Blank, 
who heaved the ball away over Lent's 
head, Posey scoria's;. Scharff hit a hot 
grounder down first base, but Lent 
made a fine stop and got his man. 

Two more runs were scored in the 
second inning. Gain lined a single into 
left. Roy grounded to Alaire, but got 
a life on the latter's error. Olstein 
fanned. Robinson grounded out, Kess- 
ler to Lent, Gain scoring on the put 
out. Lippert threw wild to Graninger 
and Roy dashed over the plate. Wyatt 
fanned. 

One more run counted in the third 
inning. Forson grounded to Blank, 
who seemed to be aiming at someone 
in the grand stand, and heaved it over 
Lent's head, Forson going to second. 



Scharff tapped one in front of the 
plate. Graninger picked up the ball 
and heaved it over first into the crowd 
standing behind the bag, the ball strik- 
ing Miss Parker, one of Oakside's high 
school teachers. She received a very 
nasty cut over the right eye and was 
taken to the doctor in an auto. On the 
wild throw Forson scored. 

After this inning Lippart and his 
teammates settled down and played 
fine ball. In the fifth inning Blank 
robbed Petrillo of a single by making 
a wonderful one-hand catch. 

From the third inning on neither 
team could get a runner across the 
plate, and the game ended Drum Hill 
7, Oakside 0. 

The score: 

Drum Hill. H R E 

Roy, c.f 1 

Olstein, r. f., 1. f 1 

Robinson, 3b 1 1 1 

Wyatt, c 1 1 1 

Posey, lb 1 1 

Forson, s. s 1 

Petrillo, 2b 1 

Scharff, p 1 

Gain, 1. f 2 1 

Dorsey, r. f 

Ellis.-l. f 

5 7 4 

Oakside. R H E 

Kessler, 2b 

Blank, s. s 4 

Alaire, 3b 1 

Graninger, c 2 

Burchetta, c. f 1 

Lent, lb 

Gordon, r. f 

Hunt, 1. f 1 

Lippert, p 1 1 

3 8 

Summary: 

Oakside 00000000 0—0 

Drum Hill 42100000 x— 7 

Two base hits — Burchetta, Posey, 
Hunt. Left on bases — Oakside 7, Drum 
Hill ?,. Bases on balls— Off Lippart 1, 
off Scharff 1. Hit by pitched ball— By 
Scharff, Kessler; by Lippert, Gain. 
Struck out — By Lippert 7, by Scharff 
4. Umpire — Jack Donohue. 



1S16— PEEKSKILL. CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION'— 1916 



FIKE WORKS I?. DEPEW PARK. 

A band concert by the Sixth Heavy 
Artillery Band was scheduled for 7.30 
o'clock Tuesday night in Depew Park 
and a fireworks display at 8.30 p. m. 
Long before that time people began to 
start for the park. Autos and those 
afoot kept coming through all three 
entrances until the big field north of 
the ball ground was completely filled 
and every available outlook was oc- 
cupied. Park Commissioner Dr. A. E. 
Phin was in charge of the placing of 
the people and the machines. He gave 
his instructions to Chief McGinty, who 
with his officers carried them out to 
the letter and never was a crowd bet- 
ter handled in Peekskill. 

The band concert began promptly 
and continued until 8.30, the time set 
for the display of fireworks. Then 
they played frequent selections until 
the display was completed at 10 
o'clock. 

The following program was ren- 
dered: 

Overture, "American National Airs" 
(Theo. Moses). 

Serenade, 'A Niglit in June" (H. L. 
King). 

Aida March, from G. Verdi's opera. 

Morceau cliaracteristic, "Forest Whis- 
pers" (P. H. Losey). 

"Auf Weidersehn" ("Blue Paradise") 
(S. Romberg). 

Overture, "Lustspiel" (Heler-Bela). 

Gavotte, "St. Cecile" (Theo. Tobani). 

Waltz, "Impassioned Drealn" (I. Ro- 
sas). 

Overture. "Morning, Noon and Night 
in Vienna" (V. Sunpe). 

March, "The Southerner" (Alexander). 

People and automobiles continued 
to arrive until the first bomb opened 
the display. 

The set pieces were arranged just 
north of the driveway at the south end 
of the ballfield, and the bombs were 
fired from a point to the west of the 
pieces. 

The automobiles were parked directly 
in front of the set pieces and covered 
nearly all the open field. By actual 
count as they left the park, 382 ma- 
chines were there, and each one filled 
with as many persons as it could carry. 

The peope were banked all around 
the autos, and during the display, when 
one of the twenty-four bengolders bril- 
liant white lights was burning in the 



heavens the whole field was so lighted 
that every face could be seen. Fully 
ten thousand people were massed in 
the open space from which the fire- 
works could be seen. The hillside to 
the east of the roadway bordering the 
lake was a sight to behold. But the 
crowd was a good-natured one. The 
autos pulled into line when directed as 
closely as machines could be run, and 
when the affair was concluded each 
one awaited his turn and the vast num- 
ber of machines was out of the park 
inside of twenty minutes, so well did 
the police manage this end of the af- 
fair and so well did the drivers re- 
spond to directions. 




Antonio S. Renza 

Chairman of the Committee on Deco- 
rations and Illuminations, in charge of 
the fireworks display. 

At intervals of from two to three 
minutes after the opening, balloons 
were sent up. Each was marked with 
a decade year, 1826 being the first, and 
so on until 1916 went up. They were 
watched carefully as each took a south- 
east course and reminded one of a 
fleet of sailing vessels following its 
leader. Between each was piece after 
piece of fireworks in the air and set. 



50 



1S16— PEEKSKILL CEXTExN'NIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



The pieces were beautiful. Many re- { 
marked during the evening that they 1 
had never seen such a display before ' 
in Peekskill, and it was a frequently 
heard comment that Chairman A. S. 
Renza of the committee had made a j 
good bargain with the money appro- ' 
priated to him by the Centennial Com- I 
mittee. 

One of the surprises of the pieces i 
was a fire picture with the word ' 
"Mayor" underneath, and it was easy 
to distinguish the features of the gen- 
tleman who is at the head of the vil- 
lage government even to the flower in 
his buttonhole. On either side of the 
"Mayor" burned an American flag. 

There was a continual chorus of 
"Isn't that fine!" as the spectacular 
colored pieces burst in the heavens or 
rose up froin the darkness into beau- 
tiful colored lights. 

When the display was nearing its 
end the Liberty Bell was shown in 
fire, and the final setting, "Good 
Night," was greeted with loud ap- 
plause and a chorus of calls from the 
auto horns. 

One of the most beautiful of the set 
pieces was the fire picture of Niagara 
Falls, which was well along in the list. 
It was very realistic and brought out 
a chorus of auto sirens. 

The display as listed by name was 
as follows: 

Twenty-one aerial bombs, 100 shells, 
Liberty Bell and set piece, 2 set pieces 
of magnesium wheels, set piece double 
American flag, set piece whistling 
wheel, set pieces the Girandolas, flight 
of rockets, set piece "The Sun," set 
piece Gallopade, 4 mines of serpents, 
parachute bombs, aerial violet beds, 
comet displays, set piece of wheels, 
also one with five drops, mines, rock- 
ets, detonations, setpiece Niagara Falls, 
setpiece novelty girandola, electric 
girandola, setpieces of geyser foun- 
tains, two bengolders of half moons, 
16 variegated bombs, girandola 400 
square feet, set piece of drums, set- 
piece magnesium wheel, Saturn and 
satellites, setpiece, setpiece a cascade, 
American flag and stars, 4 mine shells, 
12 rockets, surprise set piece, extraor- 
dinary shell, school of goldfish repre- 
sented by bomb shells, mirio break- 



ing shells and floral bombs, Hirayanni 
showers, 10 bombs aerial flower beds, 
Tokio bombs, 6 breaks, pyrotechnic 
bouquets; "The Arab's Dr.eam," a maze 
of color and jewel in the heavens; 
heavenly searchlight; 4 repeating color 
shells. 

The finale of it all was a bombard- 
ment, first aerial, then on the ground, 
of long duration and with frequent 
brilliant lights, ending with a thou- 
sand shot battery and a 400-foot string 
of cannon salutes. 

The fireworks were furnished by 
Flaminia and Camerlengo, and Elia 
Flaminia, of Fairview, N. J., was here 
in person and superintended the set- 
ting off of the pieces. 

When the "Good Night" had been 
shown, the people on foot began to 
leave by the three regular entrances 
and by way of the academy grounds. 
The autos all started their engines 
and the outer edges were sliced off. 
As one car pulled out another quickly 
followed, and using the three roads to 
the village there was no crowding nor 
was there an accident, and soon the 
1916 centennial celebration was but a 
memory. 

One of the things that made the fire- 
works display a success on Tuesday 
was the fact that A. S. Renza furnished 
the lumber needed for the setpieces 
and his workmen did the erecting; his 
teams carted the materials to the 
grounds, thereby saving that expense 
for the purchase of fireworks. Mr. 
Renza also loaned the use of his pow- 
der magazine, which greatly helped In 
the firing, as it enabled the work to 
be done much more rapidly than with- 
out it. 

THE COMMEMORATITE BADGE. 

Every celebration like Peekskill's 
Centennial has a commemorative badge. 
Peekskill, too, had one. 

It was of bronze, made by the White- 
head-Hoag Company, of Newark, N. J. 
In the circular medal about the size 
and thickness of an American trade 
dollar there was on the obverse the 
words, "Peekskill, N. Y.," around the 
top. There was a replica of the Munic- 
ipal Building and beneath it an ex- 
act duplicate of the Peekskill village 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 51 




Isaac H. Smitli 

Chairman Finance Committee 





Clifford Couch 

Chairman of Publicity Committee 



E. II. Russell 

Chairman Athletic Committee 




William F. Hoehii 

Chairman Carnival Committee 



52 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



seal, its circular inscription and all. 
On each side of the seal was a branch 
of leaves. 

On the reverse were the dates, 1816- 
1016," on a fluted ribbon, in the center 
of which, between the dates, was a 
torch resting upon the joined stems of 
two small branches. Beneath this was 
the inscription, "Commemorating the 
lonth anniversary of Peekskill, N. Y., 
July 2 to 4." Beneath this were crossed 
branches. 

By an inch wide red white and blue 
silk ribbon this medal was suspended 
from a very prettily shaped and deco- 
rated cross bar. In raised letters were 
the words, "Committee," on one hun- 
dred of them. There were one hun- 
dred badges with the word "Guest" on 
the bar. On the reverse of the bar was 
the fastening pin. 

The entire medal was effectively 
pretty. It made a fine souvenir as well 
as a badge of identification during the 
celebration. A few more are left and 
can be purchased of Secretary of the 
Committee Albert E. Cruger. 

DECORATIONS DAT AND NIGHT. 

The decorations for the Centennial 
celebration were as fine as could be 
desired. The business houses were 
decorated much after the fashion of 
the Elks' parade, except that the pur- 
ple and white was missing, and the 
red, white and blue or flag took their 
place. In the vicinity of the passen- 
ger station there were also fine dec- 
orations. 

The lighting effects outrivaled those 
of the Elks' convention, if that were 
possible. Lent and Burchetta had the 
contract, and they gave more time and 
labor than the amount of money they 
received could possibly purchase. 

The business streets from Washing- 
ton street, on South street, through 
South Division street and Main street, 
from the Eagle Hotel to Nelson avenue 
and on Park street were brilliant with 
electric lights festooned across the 
streets at frequent intervals. 

On Park street special efforts had 
been made. Red, white and blue lights- 
were so draped from the cluster of 
lights in the circle as to present a fine 
spectacle at night. A big star of col- 



ored lights surmounded the cluster and 
a large American flag floated there by 
day. At night at the east of the clus- 
ter, red, white and blue lights were so 
formed as to represent a waving Amer- 
ican flag. At the junction of Railroad 
and Hudson avenues and at South 
street and Hudson avenue the lighting 
schemes in vogue uptown was also 
carried out. 

In addition to the lights across the 
streets, small flags were strung at in- 
tervals to add to the daytime appear- 
ance of the thoroughfares. Nearly 3,000 
lights were used in all. 

In front of the Eagle Hotel four 
large columns were erected of white 
trimmed with blue. Stretched from 
each pillar diagonally were lines of 
flags under which the paraders 
marched. 

At Depew Park entrance on Fre- 
mont street and Union avenue, fes- 
toons of lights were stretched across 
the street and numbers of extra lights 
were placed m the park in order that 
those who witnessed the fireworks dis- 
play might safely find their way to 
the outlets of the park. 

IT WAS THE PRETTIEST OF ALL. 

The prettiest illumination at night 
was that of the Highland Democrat 
Company Building, 1006-1008-1010 Park 
street. 

Each of the south, east and west 
windows on all three floors were cov- 
ered on the inside with wide strips of 
red, white and blue tissue paper. 
Twenty windows were thus prepared. 
The large pane in the show window on 
the first floor was covered with verti- 
cal bands of red, white and blue. The 
door glasses were likewise adorned. 

All this was quite noticeable by day. 
But at night, with gas and electric 
lights behind the transparent red, 
white and blue paper it was a pretty 
sight. However, it was most effective 
and seen at its best after midnight. At 
that hour the myriads o'f colored lights 
in Park street were turned off. Then 
the Highland Democrat Building, with 
its two dozen windows and doors throw- 
ing out the red, white and blue bands 
of light were accentuated by the sur- 
rounding darkness and could be seen 



1816— PEEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



53 



for a long distance, especially the 
windows on the third floor. It was 
indeed a pretty picture and much ad- 
mired by thousands of people. 

The building was illuminated Sat- 
urday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday 
evenings from dusk until 1.00 a. m. 

The building was also gaily deco- 
rated outside with red, white and blue 
streamers, flags and bunting and bands 
about the roof eaves, smaller groups 
of flags, etc. It was all done by the 
Highland Democrat employees and all 
material was purchased from Peekskill 
merchants and the money kept right 
here in Peekskill. 

ECHOES OF THE CELEHKA HON. 

The Elks kept open house Sunday, 
Monday and Tuesday for the naval of- 
ficers and warrant ofiicers, many of 
whom were Elks. 

John Halsted, Sanford R. Knapp and 
John B. Christian had seats on the 
band stand during the anniversary ex- 
ercises Tuesday. All are considerably 
over eighty years of age. 

The Peekskill Post Office closed on 
Monday from 2 until 5 p. m. The car- 
riers omitted the 2 o'clock delivery 
only. All other deliveries and collec- 
tions were made as usual. 

Many moving pictures were taken of 
the parade, at the ball game, during 
the Tuesday exercises and of the auto- 
mobiles. In fact, almost any event was 
the signal for a moving picture man to 
get busy. 

Ensign Maxwell Cole, of the torpedo 
boat destroyer Cummings, was almost 
a Peekskill boy. He was born and 
reared in Carmel, Putnam County. He 
was appointed to Annapolis by the late 
Congressman Richard E. Connell. edi- 
tor of the Poughkeepsie News-Press. 
Ensign Cole was a member of the 
class of 1916 at Annapolis. 

Captain Charles W. Brown, of Cortr- 
pany A, Forty-seventh Regiment, and 
his First Lieutenant, James M. Brown, 
and Second Lieutenant, A. A. Grass, 
were in charge of the six squads of 
soldiers who aided the police in keep- 
ing order on parade day. With the offi- 
cers and sergeants, there were over 
fifty men in the police guard. 

Mrs. Charles Nelson, who was here 
Monday, was one of Peekskill's war 



babies in the early sixties. She was 
the daughter of John Bennett, the first 
Peekskill soldier to be brought home 
dead. He died of fever in Newport 
News, Va. Mrs. Nelson was born after 
her father's death. Mrs. Nelson now 
lives in New York. Her father is buried 
in the old cemetery at Van Cortlandt- 
ville. 

The Hebrew Orphan Asylum Band, 
which headed the fourth division, cre- 
ated much favorable comment by their 
excellent playing. They arrived in 
Peekskill at 10.30 a. m., and left on the 
8.02 p. m. train. There were thirty- 
eight pieces, with Herman Heller, 
eleven years old, as Drum Major. 
They won first prize in competition 
with fifty bands recently for the Forty- 
seventh Regiment. 

Congressman Lemuel P. Padgett, 
chairman of the Naval Committee of 
the House of Representatives, arrived 
in Peekskill Monday afternoon to ful- 
fill his Fourth of July speaking en- 
gagement. While here he was the 
guest of Counselor Nathan P. Bush- 
nell. They have long been intimate 
friends, having served and worked to- 
gether in the General Assembly of the 
Presbyterian Church. 

Rear- Admiral French E. • Chadwick 
and wife, of Newport, R. I., arrived 
Monday in their Overland auto, driven 
by a colored chauffeur. They stopped 
at the Eagle Hotel. They met many 
people while here and made lots of 
friends. They left Wednesday at 9 
a. m. for Saratoga Springs for a three 
weeks' stay. They were accompanied 
as far as Camp Whitman by Chester 
De Witt Pugsley and visited the camp 
for a while. 

For the information of many Peeks- 
kill people who thought William Jen- 
nings Bryan was paid to speak in 
Peekskill on Fourth of July, it might 
be stated that he came gratuitously. 
There was no expense of any nature 
whatsoever attached to his coming to 
or speaking in Peekskill. He was met 
at the Pennsylvania Station Tuesday 
morning by Clifford Couch, who spent 
several hours with him in the city; 
then escorted him to Peekskill on the 
train arriving here at 12.33 p. m. Ex- 
Congressman Pugsley and his son, 



54 



1S16— PBEKSKILL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION— 1916 



Chester De Witt Pugsley met them 
with an automobile and drove them to 
Depew Park. Mr. Pugsley drove Mr. 
Bryan to Ossining after the review at 
camp. 

Lieutenant Commander Neal, before 
leaving Peekskill, assured President 
Crumb that in all their travels and 
details to such celebrations as ours, 
never had they been more cordially 
and warmly received and royally en- 
tertained than in Peekskill. All the 
officers and men had been accorded 
every courtesy possible and then some. 
He said when the men, even the blue- 
jackets, had asked to be directed to a 
place the person accosted was not sat- 
isfied with imparting information, but 
would accompany the man to the place 
sought. Lieutenant-Commander Neal 
said that no matter where his boat or 
the Worden might be, " Peekskill" 
would be a password that would al- 
ways be accepted on their craft. 

3IR, CRUMB THANKS Mil. PUGSLEl 

Leverett F. Crumb mailed the fol- 
lowing letter to Chester De Witt Pugs- 
ley on hursday, July 6: 

July 6, 1916. 
Chester D. Pugsley, Esq., Chairman 

Centennial Committee, Peekskill: 

My Dear Mr. Pugsley — Permit me to 
thank you, and through you the mem- 
bers of the Centennial Committee, on 
behalf of the people of Peekskill, for 
the splendid manner in which our Cen- 
tennial was conducted. 

I wish also to thank everyone who 
had to do with the affair, and its great 
success, from Captain Fred A. Smith, 
who marshaled the parade, to the tini- 
est child who participated. Nor is this 
all; thanks are also due to the hun- 
dreds of willing hands that in their 
own way joined in making it a grand 
success. To name any one person 
would be to rob another of just credit. 
The only thing that comes to my mind 
to express what I feel and what I be- 
lieve every citizen of Peekskill feels, 
is what Nehemiah wrote many centu- 
ries ago, when he said: "So built we 
the wall; and all the wall was joined 
together unto the half thereof: for the 
people had a mind to work." 

The people did work, big and little. 



Permit me to say that the greatest 
lesson, to my mind, taught by our suc- 
cessful centennial celebration is that 
when our people have a mind to work, 
when they are willing to work in har- 
mony, nothing will ever interfere with 
the success of their work. With such 
an illustration of the spirit, energy and 
ability of our people, no one ever ought 
for one second to be discouraged in 
any public line, for if we will all work 
together as we worked for the success 
of the Centennial celebration we will 
not only maintain the high standard of 
the past, and the splendid standing of 
Peekskill at the present time, but will 
go on and make Peekskill a prosperous 
and live town, one that will invite and 
harbor industries and sustain them, 
one that will welcome new citizens and 
encourage them and a place in which 
everybody will be happy. 



oQM 



Very truly yours, 



Jylr^-KJ L^Stf- ^^^'i^U ^O^ 



President. 




Geo. E. I$rigf?s 

Who compiled this book 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

liiil 


014 109 515 8 ^ 




